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Senior Citizens From Across The Commonwealth To Hold July 12th
Rally To Support Brockton Hospital Nurses' Strike
More than 100 Members of the Massachusetts Senior Action Council
Will Join the Nurses on the Strike Line at 10:30 a.m. State Senators
and Political Candidates Cheryl Jacques and Stephen Lynch Will
Be Among Those Attending the Rally to Support the Nurses
Event Takes Place on Day 49 of the Strike, Matching the Length
of Last Year's St. Vincent Hospital Nurses Strike
WHAT: More than 100 senior citizens from throughout the
Commonwealth are expected to rally at the Brockton Nurses' strike
line on Thursday, July 12, 2001 at 10:30 a.m. The event is sponsored
by the Mass. Senior Action Council, an advocacy organization of
senior citizens, which is standing behind the Brockton Hospital
nurses in their fight for safe staffing conditions and an end to
mandatory overtime. Last month, the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts
Senior Action Council (MSAC) voted unanimously to support the strike
of the Brockton Hospital nurses and their demand to end mandatory
overtime at the Brockton Hospital. The MSAC Board also called on
the hospital to maintain adequate staffing levels to protect the
well being of patients. In their statement of support, the MSAC
wrote: "As seniors, we use and visit hospitals most frequently.
It is our experience that there is a serious deterioration of care
when health care services like Brockton Hospital cut staffing levels
and institute mandatory overtime practices. MSAC calls on the management
of Brockton Hospital to do the right thing for seniors and others
who rely on them for their health care needs by immediately resuming
negotiations and settling these important issues."
The nurses have been negotiating their contract since October 2000.
After months of negotiations, the nurses went out on strike at
6 a.m. on May 25th. The nurses have been fighting for improvements
in staffing to alleviate the rampant use of mandatory overtime
by the hospital as an alternative to hiring the nurses needed to
provide safe care. This week, Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John
F. Kerry sent a letter to the hospital asking CEO Norman Goodman
to renew negotiations to reach a settlement that addresses the
nurses' concerns over staffing and mandatory overtime. Ironically,
the day of the rally marks the 49th day of the strike, which matches
the length of last year's historic St. Vincent Hospital nurses'
strike against for-profit conglomerate Tenet Health Care. That
strike was settled last year when Senator Kennedy brought the nurses
and Tenet management to his offices in Washington for contract
talks. The language that settled that strike is the same language
being sought by the Brockton nurses, and is the same language that
has since been accepted by other hospitals in the Commonwealth.
WHEN: Thursday, July 12, 2001 at 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: Brockton Nurses' Strike Line, 680 Centre St., Brockton,
MA
WHO: Senior citizens and local and state political leaders
will join striking nurses for a rally. State Senator and candidate
for Congress Stephen Lynch and State Senator and candidate for
Lieutenant Governor (who is considering a run for Congress) Cheryl
Jacques will be among those speaking at the rally, along with Mass.
Senior Action President Phil Mamber.
Back to Brockton Strike page
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