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07.09.2001
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and Sen. John F. Kerry Send Letter to Hospital
CEO Urging Management to Negotiate a Fair Settlement to End Nurses'
Strike
Brockton Nurses Applaud the Senators' Letter, Specifically Its Call
for the Hospital to Satisfactorily Address the Nurses' Concerns Over
Staffing and Mandatory Overtime.
BROCKTON, Mass.—On Thursday, July 5, Massachusetts
Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry mailed a letter to Brockton
CEO Norman Goodman calling upon the hospital to engage in negotiations
to reach a fair settlement to end the nurses' strike that is now
46 days old. A copy of the letter attached to the end of this email.
"We are writing to urge you to resolve the labor dispute between Brockton Hospital
management and the registered nurses employed at the hospital," the letter to
Goodman reads. " We join other elected officials and leaders of the community
in urging a renewed focus and commitment to settle the contract negotiations
and end the strike."
Citing their concerns for the "lasting impact" of the strike on the
Brockton Community, the Senators' letter urges a speedy resolution
to the dispute. In calling for a resolution, the Senators clearly
identify the need for the hospital to address the striking nurses'
concerns about the issues of poor staffing and mandatory overtime.
"We believe that the long-term health of Brockton Hospital is at the core of
the nurses' strike, since a majority of the nurses reside in the very communities
that use the services provided by the hospital and have spent the majority of
their careers at the hospital. We are concerned that low staffing and mandatory
overtime put an undue burden on the nurses. We believe that these and other issues
must be resolved satisfactorily in order to protect the quality of care for which
Brockton Hospital and its staff are widely recognized."
According to Tina Russell, RN, a 30-year veteran at the hospital
and co-chair of the nurses' bargaining unit, "We are very pleased
that the Senators have become involved in an effort to get the hospital
back to the negotiating table. We are even more pleased that the
Senators have recognized and acknowledged the value of the Brockton
nurses, and have called upon the hospital to satisfactorily address
our very real concerns about staffing and mandatory overtime."
Senators Kennedy and Kerry were both very involved in similar efforts
last year to end the 49-day strike at St. Vincent Hospital/Worcester
Medical Center in Worcester. The strike ended after Senator Kennedy
brought both parties together in his offices in Washington, D.C.
where a settlement was reached. The contract language that ended
St. Vincent nurses' strike is the same contract language the nurses
of Brockton Hospital are seeking to end theirs. It calls upon the
hospital to fully staff the hospital to avoid using mandatory overtime
as a staffing mechanism, allows nurses to refuse mandatory overtime
if they are too fatigued to provide safe care, and places limits
on the number of hours a nurse may be forced to work overtime, as
well as limits the number of times a nurse can be mandated each year.
To date, the hospital has refused to agree to any language that obligates
them to safely staff the hospital. In addition to St. Vincent Hospital/Worcester
Medical Center, U. Mass Medical Center in Worcester and Providence
Hospital in Holyoke have negotiated the exact same language into
their contracts.
"It is clear to us that a satisfactory end to this strike recommended by the
Senators has already been proposed," said Russell. "We hope the political pressure
being placed on the hospital on both the local and state levels will convince
them to agree to this language so we can get back to providing the quality of
care patients and families of Brockton deserve."
The nurses have been negotiating their contract since October 2000.
They began their strike on May 25, 2001 after the hospital refused
to address their key concerns over staffing, mandatory overtime,
floating of nurses and salary. Since the strike began, only two negotiating
sessions have been held, with the last session on July 2 lasting
only two hours. The hospital again refused to acknowledge the nurses'
concern about staffing shortages and proposed the formation of a
staffing "advisory" committee that would have no authority or power
to address the nurses' concerns.
Text of Letter from Sen. Kennedy and Sen. Kerry
July 5, 2001
Mr. Norman B. Goodman
President and Chief Executive Officer
Brockton Hospital
680 Centre St.
Brockton, MA 02302
Dear Mr. Goodman,
We are writing to urge you to resolve the labor dispute between Brockton
Hospital management and the registered nurses employed at the hospital.
We join other elected officials and leaders of the community in urging
a renewed focus and commitment to settle the contract negotiations
and end the strike.
We are seeking a quick and fair resolution of this dispute because
we are concerned about the lasting impact of this strike on Brockton
and the surrounding communities.
Brockton Hospital provides a vital service to the Southeastern region
of Massachusetts. We admire the quality and dedication demonstrated
by the nurses who staff the facility. We believe that the long-term
health of Brockton Hospital is at the core of the nurses' strike,
since a majority of the nurses reside in the very communities that
use the services provided by the hospital and have spent the majority
of their careers at the hospital. We are concerned that low staffing
and mandatory overtime put an undue burden on the nurses. We believe
that these and other issues must be resolved satisfactorily in order
to protect the quality of care for which Brockton Hospital and its
staff are widely recognized.
It is our hope that all parties will act in good faith. We are optimistic
that the substantial common ground shared by both parties can serve
as a solid foundation for a resolution agreeable to all. A prompt
resolution of this strike will benefit all parties, and we encourage
all sides to continue negotiating in good faith. Thank you for considering
our concerns.
Sincerely,
John F. Kerry
Edward M. Kennedy
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