News & Events

Nurses to strike at three New England hospitals

View NECN article here

Apr 25, 2011 8:41pm

(NECN) – Nurses at three New England hospitals have scheduled one-day strikes. Nurses from Eastern Maine Medical Center will picket May 5. Those from Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Worcester and Tufts Medical Center in Boston will strike the next day.

The main sticking point is staffing levels. The nurses claim under-staffing is endangering patients.

Tufts has released a statement criticizing the nurses national union. It claims the union is more interested in publicity than patient care:

The statement reads in part: "The idea of National Nurses United taking five hospitals out on strike in one week proves they are focused on their national agenda and not on the patient care at these hospitals. We are extremely disappointed that they would take this reckless, national approach in Massachusetts and in Boston. It is clear that this is a selfish, self-serving agenda designed to increase MNA/NNU membership, and thus more dues."