The head of a union representing more than 500 employees at Saint Vincent Hospital sent a letter to state legislators on Tuesday calling on politicians to intervene in the nurses’ strike and find a resolution between the Massachusetts Nurses Association and Tenet Healthcare.
Fernando Lemus, President of UFCW Local 1445, is the latest person to publicly call for the work stoppage to end amid rising COVID-19 cases in Worcester. UFCW represents employees with more than 50 job titles at the hospital including patient care assistants, several medical techs, OR Aides, mental health assistants, and more.
“While our members are highly skilled and capable, we are deeply concerned in regard to the safety and quality of care our members are able to deliver given the current conditions created by Tenet Management in response to the ongoing nursing strike,” the letter from Lemus said. “These conditions are creating a serious impact on the quality of services being provided by Saint Vincent Hospital to members of Central Massachusetts and the Worcester community as we all struggle to prepare for the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Mayor Joseph Petty and City Councilor Sarai Rivera are scheduled to hold a press conference on Wednesday at City Hall to address the work stoppage. The two elected officials have supported the nurses throughout the strike, which began on March 8.
Most elected officials in Worcester have supported the nurses. At the federal level, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and U.S. Reps. Jim McGovern and Lori Trahan have also met with the MNA. During her visit to Worcester, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi also showed support for the nurses.
However, despite all the support, the strike has now eclipsed 200 days as it approaches its seventh month and is the longest nurses strike in state history.
“The decision made by Tenet leadership and [Saint Vincent CEO] Carolyn Jackson to close roughly one-hundred inpatient beds and curtail other essential services provided by St. Vincent Hospital has created delays in patient care and has overtaxed the service capabilities of other local hospitals,” the letter said. “This decision is placing our community at risk and while our dedicated members have worked tirelessly and heroically throughout the strike striving to provide the best care possible.”
At the beginning of August, Saint Vincent Hospital scaled back both inpatient and outpatient capacity in several areas because of the ongoing nurses strike.
Earlier this month, the CEO and President of UMass Memorial Health said that the strike is restricting about 80 to 100 hospital beds at Saint Vincent Hospital which is causing the city’s two hospitals to be at or near ICU bed capacity.
“We agree with the UFCW and also want the strike to end soon,” a spokesperson for Saint Vincent Hospital said. “We continue to offer high quality care throughout the strike and appreciate all the hard work from members of the UFCW, as well as other union and non-union members of the Saint Vincent Hospital care team. They are doing their best each and every day to ensure we provide the very best care to the community.
“Based on numerous conversations in recent weeks with Teamsters and UFCW members at SVH, they are working harmoniously alongside our permanent replacement nurses and do not want to see those colleagues displaced.”
While the MNA and Tenet Healthcare, the Dallas-based parent company of Saint Vincent Hospital, have agreed on staffing, which prompted the work stoppage, a back-to-work provision is preventing a resolution.
The MNA said nurses returning to their positions is common in any strike negotiations. Tenet says this isn’t a normal strike.
“This request represents the standard practice for ending any strike and we support the nurses’ position,” the letter said. “We are also very concerned as to the leadership of St. Vincent Hospital and Tenet’s behavior throughout this strike and we call upon our elected officials and all entities involved in the provision of Health Care in Massachusetts to do whatever they can to compel Tenet to settle the strike.”
Related Content:
- Strike at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester continues despite days of negotiations, political heavyweights interjecting and countless threats
- Nurses strike at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester reaches 200 days as COVID cases hit ‘crisis’ levels
- Nurse’s strike at Saint Vincent Hospital is creating a ‘crisis situation’ in Worcester, keeping as many as 100 beds offline
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