Berkshire Visiting Nurse Association nurses and healthcare professionals, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, delivered a petition to Berkshire Health Systems CEO Darlene Rodowicz Oct. 23 as they continue negotiations for a new labor contract.
The union represents more than 40 registered nurses and physical, occupational and speech therapists at BVNA, which is owned by Pittsfield, Mass.-based Berkshire Health Systems, according to the MNA. The workers voted to join the union in December 2021 and began negotiations in March 2022.
In their petition, union members point to what they say is a significant loss of permanent staff since at least December 2021, resulting in what a union news release describes as "precarious staffing levels." They urge Berkshire Health Systems to agree to a wage step scale "of the kind that MNA-represented nurses and health professionals have in every collective bargaining agreement throughout the Commonwealth."
"This will enable the BVNA to have enough clinicians to care for patients throughout our service area," the petition, which was signed by 82% of BVNA clinicians, reads.
The workers also ask for realistic productivity standards that reflect today's home healthcare environment and "allows us to spend an appropriate amount of time providing patient care and support and documenting."
Berkshire Health Systems shared the following statement with Becker's: "Berkshire Health Systems is committed to listening to the feedback of our valued clinicians, who are integral to our mission of advancing the health and wellness of everyone in Berkshire County. We respect our employees' rights to organize, along with their rights to free speech and assembly.
"As always, we are committed to working with both our Berkshire VNA clinicians and the Massachusetts Nurses Association in good faith. We have been holding productive, respectful negotiations with the MNA leadership for more than a year. We remain committed to negotiating in good faith, and we are confident that we will reach a fair and equitable agreement."