Nurses at Boston-based Tufts Medical Center are returning to negotiations with hospital officials Friday as a proposed strike for next Wednesday approaches, according to The Boston Herald.
The nurses, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, are seeking better pay and benefits, along with more robust staffing. Though the hospital has prepared for the possibility of a strike with 300 temporary nurses, Tufts nurses say these replacements won't be able to adequately maintain proper levels of care.
"Even being an experienced nurse with many years of nursing experience in other academic teaching hospitals, you can’t just walk in with a couple days of training off-site and be able to function at full capacity," said Mary Havlicek, a nurse at Tufts and co-chairwoman of the MNA bargaining unit.
Hospital officials have also said that they will hire additional security in the event of a strike so those visiting the hospital will be able to get past any picketers.
MNA nurses rejected Tufts' "final" contract offer June 8. The two parties have been in contracted negotiations since April 2016.
The MNA represents 1,200 Tufts nurses.
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