Nurses and community members have signed petitions calling on Baystate Health to improve patient care and working conditions by negotiating a fair MNA contract

WESTFIELD, Mass., Aug. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Registered nurses at Baystate Noble Hospital, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, will hold an informational picket on Tuesday, August 6 as they fight alongside their community for a fair contract to address unsafe staffing conditions, alarming recruitment and retention challenges, and stagnant wages.

In May and July, nurses and community members delivered petitions to Noble Hospital management and a member of the Baystate Health Board of Trustees calling on Baystate to quickly settle a new contract as nurse turnover and a challenging working environment have jeopardized RN morale and patient safety.

The community petition reads, in part, "We call upon Baystate Health to prioritize the well-being of nurses and the quality of patient care by negotiating a fair contract that addresses these critical issues. Failure to act will compromise patient safety and the integrity of our hospital."

Informational Picket Details
Time: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Date: Tuesday, August 6
Location: In front of the hospital at 94 Court St., Westfield, MA (ER side of the hospital)

POST-PICKET STANDOUT
5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Rotary Green in Westfield Center

The petition details wage disparities between Noble Hospital nurses and other Western Mass nurses and explains, "Noble nurses and Baystate VNA clinicians are struggling with burnout and moral injury due to unsafe staffing that is jeopardizing patient safety. A combination of poor working conditions and non-competitive wages has prompted many nurses to look for work elsewhere and has impeded recruitment efforts."

Wage disparities harming recruitment and retention:

• Nurses at Baystate Franklin Medical Center make $6.20 more per hour at the top of their wage step scale and $3.92 per hour more at the bottom of the scale than Noble nurses.
• Nurses at Berkshire Medical Center make $13.69 more per hour at the top and $10.46 more per hour at the bottom than Noble nurses.
• Nurses at Cooley Dickinson Hospital make $10.48 more per hour at the top and $4.86 more per hour at the bottom than Noble nurses.
• Nurses at Mercy Medical Center make $6.28 more per hour at the top and $6.33 more per hour at the bottom than Noble nurses.

Issues raised by the nurses include:

• Unsafe staffing levels are jeopardizing patient safety and exacerbating nurse burnout. Baystate must prioritize investments in Noble nursing staff to ensure quality patient care and reduce the physical and emotional strain on nurses.
• Noble's struggles with hiring and keeping nurses at the hospital long-term must be resolved. When nurses do not feel properly respected or valued, they look elsewhere, especially when the working environment is so hazardous and difficult.
• Stagnant wages undermine our vital role in patient care. Nurses urge Baystate to agree to fair and competitive wages that reflect the dedication and expertise of Noble nurses.

Baystate Health made $35.9 million in profits during the fiscal year-to-date period ending December 31, 2023, according to the latest reporting by the Center for Health Information and Analysis. Noble Hospital individually was profitable as well during that period.

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Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 25,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

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SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association