The sides are still at odds after a high-profile one-day nurses’ strike and a resulting lockout at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Massachusetts earlier this month. Unionized nurses rallied Tuesday night outside the hospital, looking to build support before upcoming contract negotiations.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association calls it “an informational picket.”
It looks a lot like the strike and subsequent rallies it held outside Berkshire Medical Center in early October: folk tunes and signs reading “Standing Up for Patient Safety.”
Nurse Barbara Connor is at the microphone. It’s pouring – rain bounces off a sea of umbrellas.
“It is time for management to stop disrespecting us,” Connor says, “and listen to the problems we are identifying.”
The two groups have been at a contract impasse for more than a year.
“We were fragmented and disorganized,” Connor says, “but we have come a long way, and have done a lot of great work to get here. Our strike was a huge success. We brought our message about our staffing needs to the public.”
The nurses’ union is seeking contract language that ensures safe patient care improvements. BMC contends it made its “best and final” contract offer in May.
Berkshire Medical Center had no comment when asked about Tuesday’s rally.
Nurse Mark Brodeur is on the union’s contract bargaining committee.
“When we become nurses we pledge to care for the welfare, the safety of our patients. It is literally ingrained in who we are. So coming out here and showing support to one another as we show support for our patients is really important to us,” Brodeur says.
Brodeur claims the hospital started to strictly enforce rules, which were previously ignored, as punishment against nurses who returned from the picket lines.
“The threats and the bullying that they have used against us, it really wears us down,” Brodeur says.
BMC has denied any wrongdoing, and contends it has no data to support the nurses’ anecdotes.
Hospital spokesperson Michael Leary told WAMC in a statement Wednesday BMC is “looking forward to returning to the negotiating table on November 14th to try and reach agreement on a fair contract.”
Brodeur says the hospital needs to revisit its offer.
“The ball has been in their court for four proposal sessions and they have failed to bring any sort of proposal,” Brodeur says. “The mediator also says the ball is in their court so it’s really up to them to show some kind of movement and negotiate in good faith. They can’t just keep stringing us along. They have to show movement also.”
BMC has said the nurses’ union hasn’t made significant changes to its proposal either.
As for when a new deal could be reached, Berkshire Health Systems CEO David Phelps told WAMC on October 4th he doesn’t see an end in sight.
“I have no prediction as to where and how it ends. It could be a breakthrough in days, months, who knows?” Phelps says. “And I don’t think it’s done, you know, I think it’s the new normal.”
