Berkshire Medical Center nurses say they intend to strike in October after submitting a 10-day notice to the Pittsfield, Massachusetts hospital Friday.
Massachusetts Nurses Association spokesperson Joe Markman says the nurses want what they call a “better” nurse-to-patient ratio at Berkshire Medical Center.
“So it’s the hospital’s responsibility to make sure that there is enough nurses and other staff available to take care of the patients that they have,” Markman says. “The hospital is failing in that responsibility, and the nurses’ sort of final leverage here in the bargaining process after a year is to issue this strike notice.”
After roughly 30 negotiation meetings, the MNA plans to hold a 24-hour unfair labor practice strike starting October 3rd.
BMC contends the nurses’ demands are unaffordable and unsustainable, and says the union has been negotiating in bad faith.
