WORCESTER – St. Vincent Hospital and its parent company, Tenet Healthcare, agreed to negotiate with its striking nurses, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association [MNA], on Monday, April 26, at 3 PM.
The negotiation meeting, on day 49 of the strike, will be the first time the two sides have official contact since the strike began on March 8
A federal mediator brokered the agreement to meet, which was reached on Friday, April 24.
According to the MNA, Tenet agreed to present a proposal at the meeting.
MNA says around 800 nurses are taking part in the work stoppage.
According to the MNA, the conflict is primarily about patient safety and staffing levels for nurses within the hospital. It claims Tenet consistently forces nurses to care for too many patients. The primary demand from MNA is patient assignment levels consistent with the standard of care at UMass Memorial Medical Center and other hospitals in the state.
St. Vincent Hospital says its patient safety record is strong and its staffing levels are higher than many other hospitals in the state. It also says the MNA “… is refighting its statewide campaign for rigid nurse to patient ratios in all Massachusetts hospitals – just over two years after it was resoundingly defeated by voters.”
