St. Vincent's Strike

Monday, May 8, 2000
By Linda Bock
Telegram & Gazette Staff 

WORCESTER, Mass.—The resolve of striking nurses at St. Vincent Hospital and Worcester Medical Center against Tenet Healthcare Corp. was strengthened mightily this weekend.

Nurses were energized Friday when Sen. Edward M. Kennedy visited. The same day, an estimated 1,500 members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association left their annual convention to march in front of the medical center in support of the nurses.

"We have not wavered," said Sandy A. Ellis, a nurse and member of the negotiating team. "Being out on strike is certainly not getting any easier, but we are getting stronger by the day."

And yesterday was Nurse Day on the picket line to celebrate National Nurses Week. Nurses from across the state and across the country joined in an afternoon demonstration of solidarity.

"This is overwhelming for all of us. You just don't know what it has meant for us to have all of you come today," Ms. Ellis said before introducing their special guest, U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester.

In 90-degree temperatures and under a blistering-hot sun, Mr. McGovern delivered a very well-received speech shortly after 2 p.m. to the nurses gathered on the Summer Street side of the new hospital.

"I come from a family of patients," he began. "I am grateful for all of you and what you have done for us.

"I am here to help you make sure that no hospital, whether Tenet or anyone else, forces you to work double shifts. I stand behind you, and I'll tell you why the whole community is standing solidly behind you. They understand you want the very best patient care," Mr. McGovern said. "I promise I will stand with you for as long as it takes."

Mr. McGovern promised to bring the issues of the strike to the federal level.

"I don't know who they thought they were. They have come across the wrong group. If Tenet thinks they can wait us out, they're clearly wrong. Tenet thinks people don't care. But they're wrong," Mr. McGovern said.

The last negotiations between Tenet and the nurses, who are represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, were on Thursday. Talks broke down after nine hours, again over the issue of mandatory overtime. The hospital wants the right to require up to eight hours of overtime per shift. Nurses say that endangers patient care.

After Mr. McGovern spoke, "visiting" nurses also spoke. Nurses were excited to hear from "the man known as the whistle-blower" -- Barry L. Adams, a nurse and member of MNA. In 1996, Mr. Adams, who was not a union member then, fought a Cambridge hospital over low staffing levels and won.

"Now, this is blowing the whistle in a major way," Mr. Adams said. "Every nurse around the country is watching this strike."

Jill C. Furillo, a California nurse and director of government relations for the California Nurses Association, told the striking nurses they are standing up for all the nurses across the country.

"I want to tell you: You will win. Your strength and commitment is powerful. The public is supporting you, and nurses across the country are behind you," Ms. Furillo said.

"We want to thank you for starting this fight," said Patricia R. Underwood, who took two days to drive from Michigan to be at the rally. She is secretary of the American Nurses Association.

Julie B. Pinkham of Quincy, director for labor relations for the MNA, said that now that the fight has been started in Worcester over mandatory overtime, nurses across the country are interested in helping.

"We will do whatever it takes. If it means throwing up picket lines at every Tenet-owned facility in the country, then that's what we'll do," Ms. Pinkham said.

But the nurses have refused to submit the disagreement to binding arbitration, a process often used in settling contract negotiations, Paula L. Green, spokeswoman for Worcester Medical Center, said yesterday. In fact, the nurses rejected flex time and mandatory overtime without offering any alternative, she said.

"We are not asking nurses to work 16 hours every day, that's a total misconception. Mandatory overtime is simply like an insurance policy," Ms. Green stated.

Ms. Green said the hospital managers don't understand why the nurses union refuses to consider mandatory overtime, while just last week the union signed off on a contract at Tenet-owned Metro West Health System's Leonard Morse Campus in Natick that includes mandatory overtime.

"At this point, we are in a very difficult situation. Mandatory overtime is not new. It's at other hospitals in Massachusetts. UMass Memorial has it in their contract. So now, I think we need to just go to binding arbitration," Ms. Green said. 

© 2000 Worcester Telegram & Gazette

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