Baystate Franklin Medical Center Nurses Call for Strike Vote

GREENFHIELD, MA — After a series of open membership meetings yesterday, the Registered Nurses of Baystate Franklin Medical Center have set the date for a vote to authorize a strike. “We never wanted to come to this point but with Baystate Health Systems refusing to negotiate in good faith and refusing to compromise, we have no choice,” said Bargaining unit co-chair Linda Judd, RN. “We have been at the table for months and Baystate keeps insisting we give up our rights to negotiate over wages and health insurance. These negotiations are not about money, they are about the existence of our union. If we give up our collective bargaining rights we give up our union.”

Over the past few months the nurses have received tremendous support from the greater Greenfield community. Yard signs and store signs are seen throughout Franklin County and up and down the valley. At the recent informational picket line, supporters turned out in large numbers to join the line and a constant sound of cars honking in support was heard. The nurses have tremendous support from local and state public officials — that support included resolutions passed this summer by the Greenfield City Council and by the Democratic State Convention calling on Baystate Health System to bargain in good faith.

All the community support has had little effect on Baystate according to unit Co-Chair Donna Stern, RN, “We only wish Baystate would be as supportive of their nurses as the community has been. Our families, friends, and neighbors understand that without the rights and protections of our union contract it would be much more difficult for nurses to advocate for their patients. This is our community hospital and the health and well being of our patients is paramount to us. Advocating for the safety of our patients is our most important task and it would be impossible to do that without the protection from retribution from Baystate management that our union rights provide.” 

Baystate Health Systems Inc. is represented at the table by an expensive attorney from the national anti-union law firm, Jackson Lewis. “We are 206 nurses working at our community hospital. We are up against one of the largest and wealthiest corporations in the state who seems to have limitless resources to invest in their attempt to bust our union. We are very heartened by the support of our families, neighbors, friends and community. With this continued support and our solidarity, we will win this battle to guarantee quality health care at Franklin Medical Center,” said Judd.

The strike authorization vote has been scheduled to take place throughout the day and into the evening on Thursday, August 30. The votes will be counted after the voting ends at 9 p.m and the results will be announced that evening. The vote does not mean the nurses would strike immediately. It gives the negotiating committee the authorization to strike if and when they feel it is necessary. Once the committee issues its official notice to strike, the hospital will then have 10 days before the nurses will go out on strike.