BRAINTREE, MA — Registered nurses at a Braintree endoscopy center have approved a strike as they have faced pushback on contract negotiations.
Registered nurses at Brigham and Women’s Harbor Medical Associates South Shore Endoscopy, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, voted on Nov. 1 to authorize a one-day strike because “Mass General Brigham executives have refused to agree to a fair contract that would provide competitive pay, reasonable time off, and daily overtime, enabling nurses to continue providing the high-quality gastrointestinal care patients deserve,” according to a statement.
The center is owned by Mass General Brigham, the largest private employer in Massachusetts.
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Though no date has been determined yet for the strike — and nurses hope to avoid one entirely — it’s unlikely that they would go into 2024 without a new contract.
“We have negotiated in good faith and made reasonable compromises to reach a fair agreement that would ensure South Shore Endoscopy Center has a strong nurse workforce for our patients,” said SSEC RN Christine Smith, a member of the nurses’ MNA Bargaining Committee. “Mass General Brigham has repeatedly rejected our efforts and has forced us into a position to take a strike vote.
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“If we go on strike, it will be MGB executives who are disrupting patient care access and our community through their stubbornness and greed,” Smith said. “MGB makes enormous profits and pays its executives millions of dollars but refuses to compromise with nurses who provide exceptional care day in and day out.”
If a strike is scheduled, that date will be announced to the public once the hospital has been given the 10-day notice required by law. SSEC nurses would then plan to hold a 24-hour strike unless MGB agreed to a fair contract by that date.
MGB officials told Patch that, if a strike does happen, they will have a plan in place to make sure the center opens that day.
“We value the contributions of our nurses at the SSEC and hope to reach an agreement so that we can move forward together and provide the best care for our patients,” said Kris McCue, Regional Director of Operations, Harbor Medical Associates.
“While we continue to negotiate in good faith, patient care remains our top priority. Patients and their families can be assured that we will have a plan in place to ensure that patients scheduled for procedures have access to care without delay and that we will be communicating directly with patients and their families should the union decide to strike before an agreement is reached.”
The 16 registered nurses won a union election in Sept. 2022, and have been negotiating for a new contract since the winter of 2022.
Among the chief concerns of the nurses are wages, but also the current policy for holidays and time off.
The nurses work as hourly employees at the center which, as is currently set up, means that if they want a full paycheck during weeks that the center is closed — holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, for example — they must use personal time off, as they won’t be paid for the days otherwise.
This proves problematic for people needing additional time off, as they must decide between a full paycheck or the option to take days off for unexpected life events or vacations.
MNA representatives said Mass General has refused to fix that issue to this point, even as the nurses believe they have made other compromises in the negotiating period.
In addition to a change to the time off policy, the nurses have proposed wage increases to bring their pay to industry-competitive levels, and to institute daily overtime pay, something MNA reps said is standard at other healthcare facilities.
The nurses have gained support from the local community during the negotiations, including Mayor Charles Kokoros.
“Nurses play a critical role in our healthcare ecosystem and we must never take their advanced skills, dedication, and hard work for granted,” Kokoros said.
“As Mayor, I hope Mass General Brigham executives and Mass Nurses Association leaders can swiftly come to an agreement and avoid a strike. As a strong supporter of organized labor and collective bargaining rights, I urge Mass General Brigham to negotiate a contract worthy of the excellent care your nurses deliver for patients every day.”
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