Sanders backing UVM Medical Center nurses in labor dispute

Dan D'Ambrosio | Burlington Free Press

Sen. Bernie Sanders is jumping into the dispute between nurses and the University of Vermont Medical Center.

Sanders, I-Vt., announced Thursday he will hold a news conference on Friday afternoon to "demand that the UVM Medical Center administration address the nursing crisis at the hospital."

Sanders said he would be joined by the leadership of the nurses' union, the Vermont Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals.

The union announced Monday that nurses would go on strike on July 12-13 after months of contract negotiations with the hospital.

A major point of contention in the contract negotiations is pay. The union is asking for a 24 percent increase in salaries over three years. The hospital wants a 13 percent increase over three years. Nurses say inadequate pay has resulted in high turnover and makes it difficult to recruit for an average of 150 nursing vacancies at UVM Medical Center.

UVM Medical Center President Eileen Whalen said a 24 percent wage increase over three years is "not realistic." The hospital, she said, nearly doubled its proposed wage increase from 7 to 13 percent over three years, and made "very significant movement in a lot of other areas."

"We are down to wages, for the most part," Whalen said.

Contact Dan D’Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosio@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT.



