Nurses at Cooley Dickinson Rally, Ask for Community Support
Registered nurses at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), are currently engaged in contract negotiations with a possible 1-day strike on the table.
Since January, there have been over twenty sessions of bargaining with Mass General Brigham, which have yet to yield a fair contract for the nurses. The hospital has been responding to the nurses’ proposals with takebacks, refusals to negotiate on key demands, and generally offering a weaker and less fair contract than what is currently in place.
During this fight, Cooley Dickinson nurses have sought a contract that prioritizes the health and wellbeing of RNs, a vital aspect of adequate and safe patient care. They are asking for safe staffing that would address the current excessive workload and burnout experienced by nurses at the hospital. The hospital has been particularly uncooperative on safe staffing, refusing to negotiate around this issue.
They are looking for competitive wages as nurses at Cooley Dickinson make up to $15 per hour less than nurses at other nearby hospitals in Massachusetts, with this wage inequality leading to turnover. And they are demanding health insurance for more nurses at a lower cost than what the hospital is proposing. Not only has Mass General Brigham offered a higher cost health plan than what is included in the current contract, they have also changed the eligibility of the plan so that less members would receive this insurance.
The unwillingness of the hospital to agree to a fair contract prompted Cooley Dickinson nurses to overwhelmingly authorize a 1-day strike through a vote held on October 9.
The Cooley Dickinson nurses, in partnership with the Western Mass Area Labor Federation, are hosting a community forum on Monday, November 17 from 6:00 PM -7:30 PM at the Elk’s Lodge, at 17 Spring Street in Northampton. Attendees are welcome to ask questions, learn from nurses about their contract fight, and find out ways that they can support the nurses during this stage of their negotiations. This is a great opportunity for community members to stand in solidarity with the nurses who cared for them and their loved ones time and again. Their work is integral to the functioning of Cooley Dickinson and the health of the Pioneer Valley, and it is only right that they have a fair contract to show for it.