MASSACHUSETTS NURSES ASSOCIATION

DIVISION OF LABOR ACTION: I.INDEPENDENT FACILITIES LAWRENCE GENERAL HOSPITAL LAWRENCE GENERAL WON A TWO-YEAR CONTRACT. THE AGREEMENT INCLUDES: -A THREE-YEAR AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING A NEW STEP STRUCTURE RESULTING IN YEAR 1 INCREASES RANGING FROM 7.7% TO 12.7% DEPENDING ON STEP. YEAR 2 INCREASES RANGE FROM 3.6% TO 6.2%, AND YEAR 3 INCREASE IS 5% ACROSS THE BOARD. -INCREASES TO EVENING, CHARGE, NIGHT (ROTATING ONLY), PRECEPTOR DIFFERENTIAL, AND BEREAVEMENT. -IMPROVEMENTS TO STAFFING LANGUAGE, REQUIRING CHARGE WITH NO ASSIGNMENT IN THE EC ON ALL SHIFTS AND CHARGE WITH NO ASSIGNMENT ON MATERNITY AND LABOR AND DELIVERY ON DAY AND EVENING SHIFTS. -NEW ON-CALL LANGUAGE REQUIRING UP TO 8 HOURS OF SLEEP TIME BETWEEN CALL AND SCHEDULED HOURS. -CODIFICATION OF 2 1/4 TIME PAY IN ACCORDANCE WITH CURRENT PRACTICE. -PER DIEM POSITIONS FOR NURSES WITH OVER 20 YEARS' SERVICE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY RETIREMENT. BOSTON VNA OUR RN CONTRACT WILL EXPIRE ON 11/1/25 AND THE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS' CONTRACT WILL EXPIRE ON 1/1/26. HAPPILY, THE EMPLOYER HAS AGREED TO BARGAIN BOTH CONTRACTS AT ONE TABLE, IN A POSITIVE BREAK FROM RECENT HISTORY OF INSISTING ON TWO TABLES WHICH HAS WASTED THE VALUABLE TIME AND RESOURCES OF ALL INVOLVED IN THE VNA'S IMPORTANT WORK. BROCKTON HOSPITAL OUR CONTRACT, WHICH WAS SCHEDULED TO EXPIRE ON MARCH 31, 2024 IS CURRENTLY EXTENDED. WE HAVE BEEN IN DIFFICULT BARGAINING THE WAGES LAG SURROUNDING HOSPITALS, AND THE HEALTH INSURANCE LAGS SURROUNDING HOSPITALS AND WE ARE STRUGGLING TO WIN MANAGEMENT'S AGREEMENT TO ENFORCEABLE STAFFING GRIDS. BROCKTON HOSPITAL REOPENED ABOUT A YEAR AGO AFTER MAJOR RECONSTRUCTION FOLLOWING A FIRE. THE HOSPITAL IS CURRENTLY LOSING MILLIONS EACH MONTH AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE POINTED OUT THAT THERE ARE 106 RN VACANCIES COMPARED TO 260 MNA RN POSITIONS FILLED, AND THIS IS UNTENABLE. WE HAVE BEEN REPEATING TO MANAGEMENT THAT WHILE THE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES WILL BE REAL FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO UNTIL HIGHER COMPENSATED CASES RETURN, THE HOSPITAL HAS TO BRING WAGES AND BENEFITS TO THE AREA STANDARDS TO BE ABLE TO FILL THE 106 OPEN POSITIONS AND NOT LOSE MORE. CAMBRIDGE HEALTH ALLIANCE CAMBRIDGE HOSPITAL WON A ONE-YEAR EXTENSION OF THE CURRENT CONTRACT WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED WAGES AND DIFFERENTIALS. THIS WIN BRINGS THEM MUCH CLOSER TO THE AREA STANDARDS BUT THERE IS STILL WORK TO DO AND A ONE-YEAR EXTENSION GOES BY FAST. THE COMMITTEE IS MEETING REGULARLY BETWEEN THE THREE HOSPITALS, AND OUR UNITY WILL BE OUR STRENGTH! ATRIUS THIS IS THE SECOND ROUND OF BARGAINING THAT WE WILL DO WITH OPTUM AS THE CORPORATE OWNERS OF ATRIUS. OPTUM HAS BEGUN WHAT THEY CALL INTEGRATION WITH THE NONUNION STAFF AT ATRIUS, AND IT HAS RESULTED IN TAKEAWAYS, INCLUDING THE LOSS OF TWO HOLIDAYS. WE ANTICIPATE HARD BARGAINING IN THE COMING YEAR. II. DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE FOXBOROUGH THIS IS A NEW UNIT OF OVER 30 MEMBERS WHO ARE BARGAINING FOR A FIRST CONTRACT. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF PROGRESS ON CONTRACT LANGUAGE, BUT THE EMPLOYER IS DRAGGING THEIR FEET ON WAGES. NURSES ARE UNITED AND HAVE BEGUN TAKING ACTION TO GET THE CONTRACT THEY DESERVE. DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE MERRIMACK VALLEY THIS UNIT OF AROUND 35 MEMBERS HAVE SPENT THE YEAR ESTABLISHING LABOR MANAGEMENT PROCESSES AND GETTING USED TO BEING A UNIONIZED WORKPLACE FOLLOWING A SUCCESSFUL FIRST CONTRACT SETTLEMENT THE PREVIOUS YEAR. III. BETH ISRAEL HEALTH SYSTEM NORTHEAST HEALTH (BEVERLY AND ADDISON GILBERT HOSPITALS) FOLLOWING A CONTRACT CAMPAIGN WITH BROAD PARTICIPATION AND ESCALATING ACTION NORTHEAST NURSES WON THE CONTRACT THEY SET OUT FOR. AS A RESULT, WE WON A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT WITH UNPRECEDENTED WAGE INCREASES, IMPROVED DIFFERENTIALS, AND MAINTENANCE OF MEDICAL BENEFITS. OUR WAGE PACKAGE INCLUDES: -ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASE OF 18.5% FOR STEPS 2-19. -NEW STEP 20 AT 4% ABOVE STEP 19 BY YEAR 3. -STEP 1 INCREASES TO $36 IN YEAR 1, $37 IN YEAR 2, AND $38 IN YEAR 3. NURSES MOVING ALONG THE STEP LADDER WILL RECEIVE A 29-30% WAGE INCREASE OVER 3 YEARS. NURSES AT THE TOP STEP WILL RECEIVE A 24% WAGE INCREASE WITH THE ADDITION OF A NEW TOP STEP OVER 3 YEARS. BID PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL FOLLOWING A SUCCESSFUL PICKET AND OVERWHELMING STRIKE VOTE, A 3-YEAR AGREEMENT WAS RATIFIED BY AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY ON JUNE 3. MAJOR COMPONENTS INCLUDE WINNING SAFE STAFFING LANGUAGE REQUIRING CHARGE WITHOUT ASSIGNMENT, SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN WAGES WITH ADDITIONAL STEPS AT THE TOP BRINGING OUR MOST EXPERIENCED NURSES TO OVER $90 AN HOUR BY THE THIRD YEAR, AND THE ADDITION OF TWO NEW PERSONAL DAYS. ADDITIONALLY, IF A NURSE IS ABSENT DUE TO A CONFIRMED HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED COMMUNICABLE ILLNESS (E.G., COVID, MEASLES, WHOOPING COUGH), THEIR EARNED TIME WILL NOW BE RESTORED. IV. MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM NEWTON-WELLESLEY HOSPITAL RNS SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATED A NEW CONTRACT WITH HIGHER STANDARDS, BRINGING THE TOP OF THEIR STAFF RN SCALE TO $100 AN HOUR. MEMBERS ALSO NEGOTIATED HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUM STIPENDS FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF THE CONTRACT AND BETTER PREMIUM RATES THAN NON-UNION STAFF GOING FORWARD. MARTHA'S VINEYARD HOSPITAL THE UNIT OVERWHELMINGLY RATIFIED A NEW CONTRACT IN LATE 2024. THIS AGREEMENT INCLUDED SUBSTANTIAL WAGE INCREASES AND CAME FOLLOWING MEMBERS OVERWHELMINGLY VOTING TO TAKE A ONE-DAY STRIKE. NANTUCKET COTTAGE HOSPITAL RNS SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATED A NEW CONTRACT WITH HIGHER STANDARDS, INCREASING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN STEPS FROM 4% TO 4.5%. MEMBERS ALSO NEGOTIATED PREMIUM INCREASE STIPENDS FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF THE CONTRACT AND BETTER PREMIUM RATES THAN NON-UNION STAFF GOING FORWARD. MGB HOSPITAL AT HOME THIS UNIT IS STILL BARGAINING FOR THEIR FIRST CONTRACT FOLLOWING AN OVERWHELMING VICTORY IN AN NLRB ELECTION THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE UNIT HAS BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH MNA NURSING AND HEALTH AND SAFETY STAFF ON CONTRACT LANGUAGE TO PROTECT NURSES CARING FOR HIGHLY ACUTE PATIENTS IN THEIR HOMES. MGB HOME CARE THIS UNIT IS ALSO STILL BARGAINING FOR THEIR FIRST CONTRACT FOLLOWING AN OVERWHELMING VICTORY IN AN NLRB ELECTION THE PREVIOUS YEAR. NURSES IN THIS UNIT AND THE MGB HOSPITAL AT HOME UNIT CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER IN THEIR CONTRACT BARGAINING GIVEN THE SHARED CHALLENGES THAT BOTH UNITS FACE. MGB OCC HEALTH THIS UNIT OF OVER 30 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH NURSES VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY TO JOIN THE MNA. DESPITE THIS, MGB HAS APPEALED THE DECISION TO THE FEDERAL NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD AND IS REFUSING TO BARGAIN WITH THE UNIT UNTIL THIS APPEAL IS HELD. MGB IS EXPLOITING DYSFUNCTION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO DELAY BARGAINING. NURSES IN THE UNIT REMAIN UNITED AND ARE PLANNING AN ESCALATING SERIES OF ACTION TO PRESSURE THE EMPLOYER TO BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH. V. WESTERN MASS HEYWOOD HOSPITAL THE BARGAINING COMMITTEE ENTERED NEGOTIATIONS IN JUNE 2025, WITH A FEW NEW BARGAINING COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THE COMMITTEE PLANS TO PRIORITIZE PROTECTING THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS FROM INCREASING, STAFFING LANGUAGE, WAGES AND DIFFERENTIALS. WEST SPRINGFIELD SCHOOL NURSES SETTLED A CONTRACT IN AUGUST 2025 WITH CONSIDERABLE INCREASES, IMPROVED NEW HIRE STEP PLACEMENT LANGUAGE AND INCREASED TUITION REIMBURSEMENT. THERE WERE A FEW NEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS AT THE BARGAINING TABLE, AND THEY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB REACHING THIS AGREEMENT. BAYSTATE HOME HEALTH AFTER A LONG BATTLE THE CONTRACT WAS SETTLED! FENDING OFF CONCESSIONS AND IMPROVING WAGES FOR A GROUP OFTEN OVERLOOKED BY THE CORPORATION. THE SMALL BUT MIGHTY BAYSTATE VNA PREVAILED AND MAINTAINED STRONG PREMIUM SPLITS WHEN BAYSTATE WANTED TO REMOVE HEALTHCARE PROTECTIONS. SMITH COLLEGE THE CONTRACT SETTLED! WE INCLUDED THE THERAPISTS IN THE BARGAINING UNIT FOR THE FIRST TIME WHICH DOUBLED THE SIZE OF THE UNIT! WE WON THE CAMPAIGN USING MULTIPLE TACTICS TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE COLLEGE BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY TO WIN A STRONG CONTRACT. MERCY MEDICAL CENTER AFTER APPROXIMATELY 9 MONTHS AND 25 BARGAINING SESSIONS WE REACHED A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT WITH MERCY MEDICAL CENTER/TRINITY. THE SUCCESSOR AGREEMENT HAS 5% YEAR ONE, 3.25% YEAR TWO AND 3.25% YEAR THREE. WE HAVE A NEW WAGE SCALE THAT GOES FROM 15 STEPS OVER 35 YEARS TO REACH TOP OF SCALE. WE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF STEPS TO 18 BUT REDUCED THE NUMBER OF YEARS TO REACH TOP OF SCALE TO 20 YEARS. TOP OF SCALE BY THE END OF THE CONTRACT WILL HAVE GONE FROM $61.12 TO $71.49. THERE ARE ALSO ANNUAL LONGEVITY BONUSES OF $2,000 FOR THOSE WITH 30 YEARS AT MERCY AND $3,000 FOR THOSE WITH 35 YEARS. THERE WERE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING INCREASING ON-CALL PAY TO $10 AND OVERNIGHT DIFFERENTIAL TO $10 AS WELL. THE TEAM ALSO FOUGHT BACK NUMEROUS REGRESSIVE OR ANTI-UNION PROPOSALS INCLUDING AN OPEN SHOP PROPOSAL.