Newton-Wellesley Hospital Nurses Authorize Strike

NEWTON, MA - Registered nurses at Newton-Wellesley Hospital on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing a strike.

According to Massachusetts Nurses Association, the union that represents close to 1,000 nurses at Newton-Wellesley, ninety percent of voters supported the option to strike.

The vote was held in the midst of stalled contract negotiations between the union and Partners HealthCare, which owns the hospital. Nurses also held an informational picket Wednesday in response to what they believe are inadequate working conditions and patient care, as well as unfair wages.

According to the union, more than half of the nurses at Newton-Wellesley Hospital voted Wednesday.

“We are taking this vote and contemplating a one-day strike as a protest against Partners’ greed and to educate the public about how the issues at stake in these negotiations impact the quality and safety of their hospital care,” Laurie Andersen, a registered nurse in the emergency department at NWH and co-chair of the MNA/NNU Local Bargaining Unit, said in a statement.

The vote does not mean a strike is imminent; rather, it gives the union's negotiating committee the authorization to call a one-day strike if they believe it to be necessary. If decided, the union will notify the hospital at least 10 days in advance before the strike begins.

This is the second contract dispute between the two sides in the past year; in June, a one-year agreement was reached after nurses threatened to strike.

According to Brian O'Dea, a spokesman for Newton-Wellesley hospital, the two sides will have another negotiating session on Tuesday, attended by a federal mediator.

"Both sides are bargaining in good faith," O'Dea said. "The hospital has made a very generous offer, despite challenging times in the health care industry. We value our nurses, and we're hopeful we can reach a fair agreement."