Hundreds of nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, went on strike Monday morning, protesting what they call dangerous conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The strike comes after negotiations between the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) and Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, which owns the hospital, broke down.
About 800 nurses planned to start the strike at 6 a.m. on Monday, according to a statement from the MNA. They plan to picket every day from 6 a.m. until midnight until a settlement is reached.
In a letter to the union president, St. Vincent Hospital CEO Carolyn Jackson called on union members to stop using "bullying and intimidation" tactics against their colleagues. Jackson cited threats of backlash against nurses who cross the picket line.
Replacement nurses are ready to step in and care for the patients at St. Vincent Hospital, according to a spokesperson.
After a yea rlike no other, hundreds of nurses who work at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, rallied Sunday, saying they deserve better. They say dangerous conditions are putting patients at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The nurses claimed that working conditions are putting patients at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic during a rally on Sunday, including high patient-to-nurse ratios, a lack of support staff and high turnover. They are demanding higher wages and better benefits for part-time workers.
"We've lost about 25 nurses in the emergency room alone in the last year," said registered nurse Beckett Augat.
"Patients aren't being attended to. They're falling. There's been multiple falls. Recently, there was a couple of falls that led to fractures," said registered nurse Charlotte McKeon. "It's very disheartening because you know you're not providing the best care for your patients, and it's shameful."
The hospital presented the "best proposal in ten years," according to a spokesperson, which included pay increases as high as 36% for some nurses, and increases to differentials, benefits improvements of up to $4,600 for part time nurses in out of pocket premium costs, enhanced ER security and staffing.
The nurses' union has made it clear for weeks that they planned to strike on Monday unless management agreed to boost staffing to better protect patients during and after the coronavirus pandemic.
Tenet and St. Vincent management "refuse to heed nurses" call to increase staffing levels to better protect their patients during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the union said in a statement.
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March 08, 2021 at 07:47PM
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Hundreds of Nurses Strike at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester - NBC10 Boston
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