Nurses at Greenfield, Mass.-based Baystate Franklin Medical Center revealed new strike plans March 26 nearly one month after postponing a previously scheduled walkout.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents about 200 Baystate Franklin nurses, said in a statement nurses notified hospital officials of a planned one-day strike scheduled for April 11. Union officials said nurses have continued to advocate for a fair contract and planned to visit Robert Bacon, a member of the Baystate Health Board of Trustees, March 26 to compel him and other trustees to help them resolve bargaining issues.
"If Baystate could settle a fair contract down the street at [Baystate] Noble Hospital [in Westfield, Mass.], they should be able to do it in Greenfield," said Donna Stern, RN, senior co-chair of the BFMC RN Bargaining Committee. "Our nurses, our community members, the federal government and independent organizations have for years identified patient care problems at our hospital. Baystate itself has acknowledged the problems, but refuses to solve them. Our nurses will not back down from trying to improve patient care. We will hold a one-day strike if necessary to make sure our patients get the high-quality care they deserve."
Both sides have been in negotiations since November 2016. Negotiations have been contentious at times, resulting in a one-day strike in June. Most recently, nurses postponed a strike planned for Feb. 28 after hospital officials to return to negotiations Feb. 26.
The MNA said nurses and the hospital met several times after workers withdrew the strike notice and were able to comprise on some issues such as health insurance. However, the union said both sides have not been able to fully resolve issues related to staffing and patient care.
Hospital spokesperson Shelly Hazlett called the strike plans "disheartening and disingenuous." She also noted the hospital's efforts during negotiations.
"In our most recent offer, Baystate Franklin clearly addressed the MNA's highest priority issues: staffing, wages and health insurance," Ms. Hazlett said in a statement to Becker's Hospital Review. "We have made considerable adjustments in our position on these major issues in order to reach a fair agreement. This includes clear, documented commitments around staffing and solutions that are consistent with those accepted by the MNA at other locations."
Nurses are scheduled to strike from 7 a.m. April 11 to 7 a.m. April 12. If the strike occurs as planned, Ms. Hazlett said Baystate Franklin will remain open and operational during the walkout. Additionally, she said a multidisciplinary team has prepared a comprehensive strike contingency plan, and the hospital has contracted with a professional staffing agency to provide nurses for multiple days.
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