BOSTON — “Today we walked back into the Brigham together with our heads held high because we never stopped fighting for our patients,” Kelly Morgan, the Massachusetts Nursing Association Brigham Nurse Chair, told the press July 13.
Their return followed a noisy and spirited rally of over 1,000 nurses and their supporters held in front of the Brigham & Women’s Hospital here July 9. The nurses were locked out that morning following a one-day strike.
The hospital bosses claimed the lockout was because they have an “obligation” to give five days of work to replacement nurses they had to hire during the strike.
Hospitals are among the largest employers in Massachusetts, and Brigham & Women’s is the second largest in the state. Their strike was the largest nurses strike in state history. The union says the “billionaires and corporate executives” who run the hospital are refusing to negotiate a fair contract “that protects patients and supports the nurses who care for them.”
“I am so proud to be a Brigham nurse,” Morgan, said at the rally. “I am so proud to represent 4,000 workers in the fight for a fair contract, safe working conditions, workplace safety, protection from violence, reasonable health care costs and a fair wage.”
The nurses were joined by members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, hotel workers from UNITE HERE Local 26, as well as nurses from Tufts Medical Center. A member of Carpenters Local 2168 told this Militant correspondent that union building trade workers inside the hospital put down their tools when the strike broke out. “Unions have to stick together,” he said.
Nurses had been organizing inside the hospital prior to the strike, including wearing black union T-shirts on Fridays.
In addition to the Brigham nurses, some 450 home care workers from Mass General Brigham, including registered nurses, occupational and physical therapists and others returned to work July 14 after a weeklong strike.
British Columbia nurses strike for a contract and better staffing
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The 53,000 member BC Nurses Union here is expanding job actions in the province demanding a decent contract, better nurse-to-patient ratios, and protection from workplace violence and employer harassment.
The union’s actions began July 2 with a province-wide ban on performing “non-nursing duties” and overtime restrictions. The bosses responded with threats of discipline.
Hundreds of striking BC nurses set up a spirited picket line at Vancouver General Hospital, with signs saying, “Safe staffing/safe patient care.” Today there are some 4,500 nursing positions vacant, BC Nurses Union President Adrian Gear said.
They were joined July 7 by the Hospital Employees Union, the Health Sciences Association of BC, BC General Employees Union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the BC Teachers Federation, and the Canadian Animation Guild.
On July 9, top officers of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, the Ontario Nurses Association, and the United Nurses of Alberta joined various picket lines.
Union members voted by 98.2% to authorize a strike, then rejected a tentative agreement by 67%.
The Canadian Labor Congress said, “Canada’s unions and the more than 3 million workers we represent stand shoulder to shoulder with BC’s nurses.”
As we go to press the union has agreed to take down its picket lines on July 14 to spur mediation, while a province-wide ban on non-nursing duties and a restriction on overtime remains in effect.
— Fred Nelson and Ned Dmytryshyn