The National Labor Relations Board has filed a complaint against Boston-based Steward Health Care System, claiming it unlawfully fired a nurse from one of its hospitals after she led a union organizing drive, according to a Boston Globe report.
Mary Ramirez had worked at Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, Mass., for 18 years when she was fired. The NLRB complaint also alleges Steward prevented other Holy Family nurses from wearing buttons in support of their fired colleague this past summer.
A board official said the NLRB has found reasonable cause to believe the alleged unfair labor practices occurred, and a hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 14.
Steward spokesperson Chris Murphy said the “participation in union organizing activities played no role in the decision” to fire Ms. Ramirez. He said Ms. Ramirez lost her job after she intentionally changed a physician’s order, committed an intentional medical error and failed to report that she had administered morphine to a patient.
Mr. Murphy also said Ms. Ramirez had previously been on probation for two years by the state Board of Registration in Nursing for diverting patient medication for personal use.
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