2006 News

UMass RNs Set to Strike on October 26 at 6 a.m.

10.20.2006

Make a Stand Against Unnecessary Concessions Attend a Pre-Strike Rally – Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 7 pm

Froshinn Club, 25 North Quinsigamond Ave., Shrewsbury (directions below) Join the Nurses on the Picket Line Outside the UMass Memorial Medical Center's University Campus on Oct.  26th or Any Day Throughout the Strike (directions to the hospital below)

The 830 registered nurses at UMass Memorial/University campus have served notice on the hospital that they plan to go out on strike on October 26 at 6 a.m. The strike authorization was approved by 94 percent of those voting in late September -- the largest strike authorization vote in MNA history.

After posting a record $94 million in profits in 2005 and projecting another $47 for 2006, the hospital is demanding a number of significant concessions—concessions the nurses believe compromise their ability to retain and recruit staff needed to deliver quality patient care at the region's only level one trauma center. Adding insult to injury, after demanding the concessions from the nurses, the hospital announced it awarded its CEO John O’Brien a 38 percent pay hike and that it intends to invest more than $68 million this year in capitol improvements.

“We reached a point where we have no other alternative,” said Kathie Logan, RN, a nurse at UMMC and chairperson of the bargaining unit. “No one wants a strike but management continues to demand major concessions at a time of record, and unprecedented, profits. Our members will not give back 25 years of gains when the institution is in its strongest financial position in its history.”

Key issues in dispute include management's demand to delete the nurses' defined benefit pension plan for new employees; dramatically increase health insurance costs; reduce family medical leave benefits; and gut “reduction in force language.” In addition the hospital is proposing to drastically cut the nurses’ salary scale, which would increase the number of steps in the scale while reducing the top step by more than $2 per hour . The hospital’s proposals would mean the nurses could lose as much as $8,000 per year in compensation, with some nurses losing much more .

The nurses' pension is a benefit guaranteed to them under the law that allowed the privatization of UMMC in 1997. There is no justification for taking this away from the nurses.

According to Logan, "If the hospital has its way, patients will suffer as many of the most qualified and experienced nurses would leave for Boston where they would be paid as much as $10 per hour ($20,000 per year) more, with better benefits.”

“While the unit is in preparation for a strike, the negotiating committee is hoping that management will come to its senses and agree to our last and final proposal before the October 26 deadline,” added Logan.

Those nurses who wish to support the UMass nurses in their strike can do so in a number of ways, including joining them on their picket line, making a donation to their strike fund and/or by calling their CEO John O’Brien at 508-334-0100 to register your outrage.

You can send donations to the UMass nurses’ strike office, which is located in the new MNA Region 2 Headquarters, located at 365 Shrewsbury Street, Worcester, MA 01604.

To learn more about the strike and what you can do to help, visit the UMass nurses’ Web page on the MNA Web site at www.massnurses.org, or call the strike office at 508-756-5800.

Driving Directions to:

University Campus
55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester 01655
Telephone connecting all campuses: 508-334-1000

From the east:

  • Take the Mass. Pike (Route 90) West to Exit 11 (Route 122).
  • Take a left off the exit ramp onto Route 122 North (Grafton Street).
  • At the intersection with Sunderland Road, take a right.
  • At the first set of lights on Sunderland Road, take a left onto Lake Avenue and proceed for 2.5 miles.
  • Get into the left lane at the intersection of Route 9 (Mr. Tux will be on left) and turn left.
  • Get into the right lane.
  • Turn right at the traffic light onto Plantation Street. University Campus is on the right.

Alternate Route : Take the Mass. Pike (Route 90) West to Exit 10. Take I-290 East to Exit 21. Turn right off exit onto Plantation Street. Go to second traffic light. University Campus is on the left.

From the west:

  • Take Mass. Turnpike East to Exit 10 (I-290 East).
  • Take I-290 to Exit 21.Turn right off exit onto Plantation Street.
  • Go to third traffic light. University Campus is on the left.

From the north:

  • Take I-495 South to Exit 25B (I-290 West).
  • From I-290 West, take Exit 22 and turn right off exit.
  • At second traffic light, turn left onto Plantation Street.
  • Go to fourth traffic light.
  • University Campus is on the left.

Alternate Route : Take I-190 South, follow signs for I-290 East to Exit 21.Turn right off exit onto Plantation Street. Go to second traffic light. University Campus is on the left.

From the south:

  • Take I-495 North to Exit 25B (I-290 West).
  • From I-290 West, take Exit 22 and turn right off exit.
  • At second traffic light, turn left onto Plantation Street.
  • Go to fourth traffic light.
  • University Campus is on the left.

Alternate Route: Take I-395 North to where it becomes I-290 East. Take I-290 to Exit 21.Turn right off exit onto Plantation Street. Go to second traffic light. University Campus is on the left.

Driving Directions to:

FROHSINN CLUB (Where the pre-strike rally and most open meetings will be held)
25 NORTH QUINSIGAMOND AVE., SHREWSBURY
(Across from White City, behind the Burger King)

FROM Rt. 495:

  • Take the Rt. 9 West toward Worcester
  • At the corner of Rt. 9 and North Quinsigamond Ave.  (there is a BURGER KING and MOE’S Southwestern Grill on the right at the corner)
  • Make a right turn onto North Quinsigamond Ave. 
  • The Froshinn Club is up the hill on the left.

From MASS PIKE (heading west)

  • Take 495 North and follow directions above.

From MASS PIKE ( heading east)

  • Take 290 East/North
  • Take Rt. 9 / Belmont St Exit
  • Turn right on Belmont St/Rt 9 East
  • You will pass the Memorial Hospital and the UMass University Campus on your left. 
  • Immediately after you go over a body of water take a left turn at the first traffic light turn onto North Quinsigamond Ave.  the Froshinn Club is up the hill on the left.

From 190 South

  • Take the I-290 E ramp to Shrewsbury/Marlboro - go 2.5 mi
  • Take the Main St. exit 22 to Shrewsbury - go 0.2 mi
  • Bear left onto the ramp to Worcester (RT-70)
  • Turn left at Main St N - go 0.3 mi
  • Turn left at N Quinsigamond Ave - go 1.5 mi
  • The Club will be on the Right