Nurses at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Massachusetts Vote to Authorize Strike

Nurses at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, Mass., have voted to authorize union leaders to conduct a strike over stalled contract negotiations, according to a report in The Republican.

The vote authorizes the negotiating committee within the Massachusetts Nurses Association — which represents 209 nurses at the hospital — to declare a strike if necessary.

The nurses have been negotiating contracts with the hospital since October and have been without a contract since the spring. The MNA says there have been 25 separate negotiation sessions, but salaries, healthcare insurance coverage, overtime and sick time remain in dispute.

Chuck Gijanto, president of Baystate Regional Markets — part of Springfield, Mass.-based Baystate Health — said the vote "puts a serious strain on the unity we have enjoyed in doing what is best for our patients and the community we serve," according to the report, and called the vote a "sad moment."

More Articles on Hospitals and Unions:

Massachusetts Nurses Assoc. Files Complaint Against Baystate Franklin Medical Center
Nurses at St. Louis University Hospital, Des Peres Hospital Vote to Unionize
Federal Court: Labor Board's Final Rule to Expedite Union Elections Still Invalid


Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars