Registered nurses at Steward Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, Mass., filed an unfair labor practice charge this week with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging the hospital has failed and refused to provide information nurses need to begin bargaining a new union contract, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
The union, which represents nurses and other health professionals at eight hospitals owned by Boston-based Steward Health Care, including Holy Family Hospital campuses in Methuen and Haverhill, Mass., said the charge stems from an initial information request sent to Steward May 19. The request, they said, called on Steward to provide various legally required information, including a listing of all nurses with wage, hour and seniority data, health insurance data and information on the use of temporary/casual nurses.
But they claim Steward has failed and refused to provide such information.
In addition to the charge filed by the nurses at the Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, the nurses at Holy Family Hospital in Haverhill, who are currently in contract negotiations, previously filed unfair labor practice charges against Steward, according to the MNA. They alleged Steward refused to provide needed information for bargaining over a span of months.
The nurses and management at Holy Family in Methuen are scheduled to begin talks on Sept. 20. The most recent negotiating session between the nurses of Holy Family Hospital in Haverhill and management took place Thursday.
Holy Family Hospital spokesperson Jean MacDougall-Tattan released a statement in response to the latest labor charge, touting the care provided at both of the hospital's campuses.
"Holy Family Hospital is proud of the quality care provided by hospital doctors, nurses and staff to our patients every day, and we take pride in the collaborative work we have done with multiple unions to continue improving care and jobs within the facility," she said.
During recent negotiation sessions in Haverhill, she said Holy Family Hospital continued to offer across-the-board raises and the preservation of existing step increases for unionized nurses.
She added, "Hospital administrators have provided a substantial amount of information in response to MNA requests in the context of these negotiations and will continue to do so. We look forward to continuing negotiations with the nurses in Haverhill ... We will review this complaint from the MNA carefully and look forward to the initial negotiating session in Methuen."