06.28.2001

Brockton Clergy Association Issues Call For Parties in Brockton Strike To Negotiate a Fair Settlement While Not Taking Sides in the Dispute, The Letter Encourages A Resolution that Mirrors What the Nurses Are Looking For - To Increase Staffing

BCA
Brockton Clergy Association

To the Administration and Nurses of Brockton Hospital:

Concerned about the quality of patient care at Brockton Hospital, representatives of the Brockton Clergy Association met with representatives of the administration of the Brockton Hospital on Thursday, June 14th at 11:00 a.m. to discuss the current nurses' strike. The same group of interfaith clergy representatives met on Friday, June 15th at 11:00 a.m. with representatives of the nurses' union to discuss the same topic. Approximately two hours was spent with each group. We acknowledge and appreciate the hospital's fiscal success in a time when health care is increasingly competitive and challenging. By the same token, we acknowledge and appreciate the nurses' deep commitment to their profession. It is evident to us that both the administration and the nurses are seeking to provide the best of care for the people of Greater Brockton. We are grateful to those who took the time to share their concerns with us. Having listened closely to both parties, it seems to us that the staffing pattern at Brockton Hospital is the main source of conflict. It seems that the bulk of nurses are employed in part-time positions, which is often of benefit to both the nurses and the hospital. However, this has presented a critical staffing problem when there are too few part-time nurses to safely and adequately cover all patients during all shifts. Currently, hospitals are trying to rectify this situation by requesting that nurses volunteer to work extra shifts in order to provide sufficient coverage. When this system fails, the hospital must resort to mandating overtime. This is compounded by the fact that the nurse to patient ratios, determined in the 1980s, no longer reflect the increased patient acuity found in today's hospitals. The increased demands of caring for patients renders the nurses more susceptible to fatigue, thus jeopardizing the quality of care and even endangering the lives of their patients. Taking all of this into account, we, the Brockton Clergy Association, strongly encourage the administration of Brockton Hospital and the striking nurses to return to the negotiating table. A just resolution to this situation must be devised quickly. As we see it, it is only by addressing the underlying staffing patterns at Brockton Hospital that such a resolution will be reached.

You remain in our prayers.

Sincerely,

Rev. William McCoy Christ Congregational Church,Brockton
Rev. Heather Kinnear Christ Congregational Church,Brockton
Rev. Dale Downs Foursquare Church, Brockton
Rev. Michael Wayne Walker Messiah Baptist Church, Brockton
Rev. Beatrice Michals-Brown Prince of Peace Lutheran Church,Brockton
Fr. Francis J. Cloherty St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church,Brockton
Fr. Joseph A. Gaudet St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church,Brockton
Fr. Paul Moritz St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church,Brockton
Ms. Jeanne Lafond St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church,Brockton
Rabbi H. Bruce Ehrmann Temple Israel (Emeritus), Brockton
Rev. Francis Swartz Central United Methodist, Brockton
Rev. Rosemary L. Peters First Baptist Church, Brockton
Rabbi H. David Werb Temple Beth Emunah, Brockton
Ms. Debra Moore Christ Congregational Church, Brockton
Fr. Richard Conway St. Margaret's Roman Catholic Church, Brockton

Back to Brockton Strike Page