Advertisement Tufts Medical Center nurses plan to go on strike, union says Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A Boston hospital said it is prepared to provide care in the event a nursing strike should occur. Tufts Medical Center said Saturday the Massachusetts Nurses Association informed the hospital of its plan to take nurses on strike July 12. The hospital said nurses who take part in the strike would not return to work for at least five days. “It is extremely disappointing that the MNA has chosen to take this action, especially given that so many of our nurses have told us they do not want to strike,” said Dr. Michael Wagner, president and CEO of Tufts Medical Center. “Tufts MC has been preparing for this scenario, and our physicians and patient care teams, alongside qualified registered nurses ... are ready to provide top quality care.” The MNA, which represents the 1,200 registered nurses at Tufts Medical Center, said the looming strike is over nurses’ concerns about patient safety, lack of resources, and unresolved compensation talks. The association said the letter sent to Tufts indicates the nurses will strike and picket starting at 7 a.m. July 12 until 6:59 a.m. July 13. Nurses will continue to strike if Tufts prevents them from returning to work at that time. “We do not want to strike,” said Mary Havlicek Cornacchia, an operating room nurse. “But management has left us with no other choice. They won’t hear us. They don’t believe us when we say that the contract improvements we are fighting for are necessary in order to keep patients safe.” The MNA said the two parties had a closed-door meeting Monday where Tufts management’s altered proposal was voted down by nurses due to nurses "sacrificing wages for only marginally improved nurse staffing.” Nurses rejected the proposal and called on Tufts to supplement its offer, along with hiring more IV and clinical resources nurses and improving wages and benefits to have nurses come work, and stay, at Tufts. Tufts Medical Center said it is working with a temporary nurse staffing agency to bring nurses to Boston during a strike, and will provide care in specialties such as surgical, neonatal and the intensive care unit.