Members of Service Employees International Union1199 New England began an open-ended strike May 15 at Care New England’s Butler Hospital in Providence, R.I.
Five things to know:
1. The strike involves more than 800 staff at the hospital, including registered nurses, mental health workers, clerical, environmental service and dietary staff, according to a May 15 union news release. Care New England employs more than 8,000 workers total.
2. Union members voted April 25 to authorize a strike. The union and management began negotiating a new labor contract in March.
3. In a statement shared with Becker’s, Butler Hospital President and COO Mary Marran said the hospital “has worked diligently and in good faith to find common ground and address critical issues, including offering significant wage increases and enhanced workplace safety initiatives.”
4. The union contends that management has failed to address their concerns regarding workplace violence and wages. “As the backbone of Rhode Island’s leading psychiatric hospital, Butler Hospital workers are fighting for better care for their patients during May’s Month of Mental Health Awareness,” said SEIU 1199 New England in a news release.
5. “We believe that the best way forward is through constructive dialogue, not a work stoppage,” Ms. Marran said. “Our hospital leadership is ready to resume negotiations at any time.”
