09.18.2006

Telegram & Gazette Publishes Three Letters to the Editor from UMass Nurses on 9-15-06

UMass nurses contract negotiations elicit reactions

I would like to comment on a front-page article, “Nurse strike is possibility” (Telegram & Gazette, Sept.7).

Never before has UMass made such drastic demands on the nurses’ contract. The hospital has proposed to cut our sick time in half, stop the pension plan, double our health insurance rates, omit three paid holidays and decrease our pay raises. We want to keep our previous contract.

The article states that CEO John O’Brien’s 38 percent pay increase to $1.27 million is justified because it is, “competitive with his counterparts at similar size hospitals.” UMass is the only Level 1 trauma center in Central Massachusetts. Our hospital cares for the sickest of the sick, accepting patient transfers from lesser equipped hospitals such as St. Vincent, Marlboro, Hubbard, Harrington and Clinton. Shouldn’t the highly skilled nurses at UMass have wages, “competitive with their counterparts at similar size hospitals?” After 20 years, we make $86,000, counting the overtime.

The hospital falsely reassures the public by declaring it preparing for a strike by retaining temporary nurses, most of whom are not qualified to provide the special skills necessary to run a large hospital like UMass.

UMass is a great hospital. I take my own family there for treatment because I know that the staff is knowledgeable and competent. A great hospital is not defined by how fancy the lobby is, or how modern the equipment is. It is great because of the people who keep it running smoothly.

Christine Keidan
Worcester

As the contract process continues at UMass, it is becoming increasingly frustrating to remain in this purgatory.

Having worked at UMass myself, for 18 years, I am not willing to lose the defined pension plan that was promised to me at the time of the merger, give up eight sick days, three holidays and have my bi-annual step increase cut by 40 percent. Why have I stayed with UMass for 18 years, to now be told I am going to start losing many of the benefits I have stayed for?

Let’s talk about retaining nurses. How can we even think of staying, when all management can talk about is taking away from us? One has to wonder: What kind of concessions would top management be willing to live with?

Laurie Budnick, RN
Sutton

The union nurses at UMass Memorial Medical Center-University Campus have been in contract negotiations since last December.

As a nurse on the negotiating team, I am stunned at the lack of progress we have made with management. The tone of our negotiations has changed drastically this year. In the past, we have worked respectfully and diligently across the table and amicably settled numerous issues involving nurses and patient care. I am saddened to say that has changed with the employment of John O’Brien, our CEO, and a new group of human resources executives. Management wants to take away more than 50 existing provisions that we have in our current contract. These takeaways would dismantle or degrade nearly every right or benefit we now have.

Nurses have not had an equal opportunity to have any of our new proposals seriously considered with the hospital’s concession looming over us. I find it ironic that the hospital wants to strip our benefits because we are out of sync with the competitive marketplace. What I find out of sync is a CEO who claims our hospital will suffer a $40 million loss this year, yet reaps an annual salary of $1.2 million and carries $372,000 in deferred compensation and other benefits. Seems to me that everyone losses in this situation but Mr. O’Brien.

Judith M. Smith-Goguen, RN
Boylston