Saint Vincent nurses vote to keep union after monthslong strike

Nurses at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Mass., voted to keep their union and representation by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, according to Feb. 28 hospital and union statements.

The decision comes after a nurses strike that lasted about 300 days.

"The honor and integrity of our union is strong, as the Saint Vincent nurses have reaffirmed our right to maintain a powerful voice in our advocacy for our patients and our work life," Marlena Pellegrino, RN, a longtime nurse at Saint Vincent and co-chair of the nurses local bargaining unit with the union, said in a news release. "We now look forward to working with all our colleagues to truly begin the healing process and to build a positive future for Saint Vincent Hospital."

Nurses began voting on whether to decertify the Massachusetts Nurses Association at the hospital after C. Richard Avola, who was hired as a permanent replacement nurse at the hospital during the nurses strike, filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board for an election.

Mr. Avola told WBUR in February that he was leading the effort because staffing levels at Saint Vincent were "no different than any other hospital that I had worked at, and I didn't see why it was being targeted" during the strike.

He also argued to the publication that there is division among longtime union members and replacement nurses hired during the strike, and "we need to remove the subject that was the controller of the relationship between the hospital and the nurses."

The walkout began March 8, 2021, and the petition was filed in December after nurses reached a tentative agreement on their new contract. A four-year agreement approved by union members in January officially ended the strike. According to the union, the vote to keep the union was 302-133.

In a statement shared with Becker's, Saint Vincent said the hospital respects the decision of its nurses to continue to be represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

"Saint Vincent holds its nurses in the highest esteem and remains committed [to] retaining and attracting high-quality nursing talent," the statement said. "We continue to foster a culture and team that is committed to providing quality care to the Greater Worcester community."

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