National Nurses United

NewsBriefs.REV_April 6/23/10 7:33 PM Page 11 Quincy Medical Center Nurses Protest Hospital's Refusal to Negotiate New Contract MASSACHUSETTS arrying signs that read, "Negotiate don't dictate," "Safe staffing now," and "Be fair to those who care," more than 200 registered nurses at Quincy Medical Center, joined by dozens of supporters, conducted an informational picket outside the entrance to the facility on April 13. The picketing is part of an ongoing campaign by the nurses to improve working conditions, while also saving the hospital from gross mismanagement. The picket was scheduled after the Massachusetts Nurses Association filed an unfair labor practice charge against the hospital with the National Labor Relations Board for their decision to cease negotiations for a new contract and declare impasse after only six sessions. Citing the hospital's financial instability, QMC management is demanding that the nurses cut their wages by three percent, increase their health insurance payments by five percent, and freeze their pension along with other benefit cuts, all of which were implemented April 4. "The nurses of this hospital are outraged by this unprecedented, and we believe, illegal approach to what should be a good faith process to reach a fair settlement that protects the hospital while valuing the role of nurses in making this hospital run day in and day out," said Paula Ryan, RN, a longtime nurse at the hospital and chair of the local bargaining unit. "They are demanding that nurses make significant sacrifices, without providing us the opportunity to negotiate over those changes. For them, it's take it or leave it. They are stomping on our legal rights and we will not be bullied, we will not be intimidated." "The nurses are fully aware of the hospital's financial situation, and we are not opposed to making sacrifices, which is something we have been doing for the last C M AY 2 0 1 0 decade to help this hospital," Ryan continued. "However, we also have a greater responsibility to our patients, and we cannot accept a contract that fails to ensure that we have the staff and resources to keep our patients safe. We all have a vested interest in supporting this hospital, but we can't do so at the expense of our patients' well being. It's one thing to shortchange staff, it's quite another to undermine the core mission of this hospital, which is to provide quality nursing care." Negotiations for a new contract began on February 18, and the nurses' previous contract expired on March 31. The MNA charge against the hospital contends that the hospital's declaration of impasse was premature, coming after only one session with a Federal Mediator, who was called in by both parties to help move the process forward. 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 Marching with the nurses were their colleagues from a number of MNA local bargaining units, along with Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Robert Haynes and other union members from the National Emergency Medical Services Association, Teamsters, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Association of Machinists, Sheet Metal Workers International Association, Laborers' International Union, and Boston Mailers. A number of local elected officials also marched with the nurses. In addition to the picket, the nurses are organizing a lawn sign campaign throughout the city, leafleting the public at local community events, and taking out full-page ads in the local paper to state their case and mobilize support for their efforts. —David Schildmeier N AT I O N A L N U R S E 11

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