National Nurses United

NEWS BRIEFS Bargaining Baystate RNs Find Natural Ally in Occupy Movement MASSACHUSETTS or the past eight months the registered nurses of Baystate Franklin Medical Center, who are represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United, have been involved in contentious contract negotiations. The hospital is owned by the vehemently antiunion Baystate Health Systems. Baystate, which has a long history of crushing any organizing attempts in their facilities, bought the MNA-represented Franklin Medical Center about 10 years ago. The last few rounds of negotiations have been difficult, but this time Baystate has made it clear they are out to bust the union. ���They came to the table with proposals that would severely limit our ability to negotiate over wages and healthcare insurance. They actually thought that we would accept a contract that gave management the right to solely decide what our wage increases would be. We would not accept this and neither would our members,��� said bargaining unit co-chair Linda Judd, RN. Baystate has retained an attorney from the national anti-union law firm Jackson Lewis to represent them. After months of fruitless negotiations, the nurses realized they needed to go to the community for support. Since the Occupy movement started last fall, the residents of Greenfield and F 4 N AT I O N A L N U R S E surrounding Franklin County have built an active and strong Occupy Franklin County movement. For many months, they have been holding rallies every Saturday on the town common in downtown Greenfield. Some of MNA���s Franklin nurses had participated in the weekly events and in March, they and the Occupy group decided to highlight the nurses��� struggle to gain an equitable contract. Baystate is claiming that Franklin Medical Center is losing money, despite the fact that Baystate Health Systems is the dominant healthcare system in the area and consistently shows a surplus of more than $100 million a year. The nurses point out that Baystate consistently transfers patients to its main hospital in Springfield, though providing that care locally could bring much needed W W W. N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G resources to Franklin Medical Center. The Occupy group and the nurses highlighted that Baystate is clearly the 1% in Western Massachusetts and is bleeding Greenfield and Franklin Medical Center in order to concentrate profits at its corporate headquarters in Springfield. To get this message across, Occupy members dressed in hospital Johnnies, rode in wheelchairs, and walked with the help of crutches and walkers. The nurses in scrubs and with stethoscopes acted as their caregivers. All were holding signs that supported the nurses��� fight for a just and equitable contract. ���It was a great day,��� said Judd. ���We went back and forth at the main intersection in town and got tremendous support from community members.��� According to Judd, the RNs have continued to work with the Occupy group and feel they have found a natural ally. ���It has been wonderful to work with a community group that shares our values,��� she said. ���We are fighting together for a society that is equitable and fair for all citizens. The Occupy group understands that our fight is primarily a fight for better quality patient care. We look forward to working with them even after we settle our contract.��� In addition to this activity, Baystate Franklin Medical Center nurses have placed billboards in high-traffic locations, and placed ads and lawn signs that read ���Occupy Baystate, Respect Your Registered Nurses.��� The nurses have also been out in public places gathering signatures on public petitions and conducted a picket outside the dedication of the hospital���s recently unveiled ���Hospital of the Future.��� ���David Schildmeier A P R I L | M AY 2 0 1 2

• Cover