Nurses Organize Pickets Across 5 UMass Memorial Hospitals

WORCESTER, MA — Nurses at five Central Massachusetts hospitals are set to hold informational pickets this week.

Registered nurses with the Massachusetts Nurses Association, who are employed at five UMass Memorial hospital campuses in Clinton, Marlborough and Worcester, are holding pickets on Thursday. The purpose of the events is to raise public awareness about ongoing contract negotiations at the hospital campuses, as well as to improve patient care conditions, ensure workplace safety, and offer competitive wages, according to the MNA.

MNA members at all five campuses have been in contract negotiations for nearly a year, and little progress has been made, the union said. That covers 1,575 nurses at the University and 1,365 nurses at UMass Memorial, including the nurses at the Hanhemann campus.

"For the nurses, these informational pickets are about ensuring a stable, experienced nursing workforce," the MNA wrote in a news release. "Without competitive wages, nurse recruitment and retention are strained, leading to ongoing concerns about staffing levels, patient safety, and workplace safety."

MNA said the pickets are also meant to send a strong message to UMass management: "Nurses across the system are united and fully committed to the health of their patients, the safety of their hospital communities, and their nursing practice."

The pickets will take place at the following campuses and times:

In a statement to Patch on Wednesday, UMass Memorial Health wrote that its nursing caregivers are essential to the healthcare system's ability to provide care, and that it remains engaged in contract negotiations with the MNA's bargaining units at the University, Memorial and Marlborough campuses.

Regarding the informational pickets, UMass Memorial Health wrote, "We respect our nurses’ right to participate in this activity, and we have plans in place to support safe, uninterrupted patient care and maintain normal hospital operations," in a statement to Patch.

"We remain committed to reaching agreements that support our caregivers, communities, and vital mission, and to continuously improving patient care and ensuring a safe work environment," the healthcare system continued.

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