Briefing: UMass Memorial Vs. Nurses Union

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More than a year after their contracts with UMass Memorial Medical Center expired, nurses in the health care system's three Worcester campuses — represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) — authorized a one-day strike as they continued to spar with management over staffing ratios.

Will the MNA strike?

The union has not submitted an official notice to carry out a strike. David Schildmeier, MNA spokesman, said nurses hope to avoid it by reaching a settlement.

Why are the nurses accusing UMass Memorial of unsafe staffing levels?

The debate over staffing at the university, Hahnemann and Memorial campuses has been the chief stumbling block to new contracts, both sides said. Contracts for the Hahnemann and Memorial campuses expired in April 2012, four months after the university campus contract expired.

The MNA claims staffing levels at the sites are unsafe, following layoffs of hundreds of nurses and support staff over the last two years. The union has cited official staffing plans, which the MNA said show the quality of staffing levels has dropped from the best to the worst in Worcester for most UMass units. Meanwhile, a Medicare report issued last fall showed the UMass system was listed among 10 in Massachusetts receiving the highest federal penalties for high levels of patient readmissions.

What does UMass Memorial say?

The MNA has proposed mandatory staffing ratios, but UMass Memorial spokesman Robert Brogna said hospital officials disagree with such a system because studies show they don't improve patient care.

After the nurses approved a strike, Brogna said in a statement that UMass Memorial was disappointed with the vote, as well as with the accusation that the hospital was deploying unsafe staffing ratios. He said UMass put forward a staffing proposal that addressed the nurses' concern without resorting to mandatory ratios.

What else is on the table?

UMass Memorial CFO Todd Keating said the system is pursuing pension reform with the MNA and all other bargaining units. After UMass Memorial received a credit downgrade in March from Moody's Investors Service, Keating said the system “cannot, in this environment, continue to support the benefit structure that was in the (previous contract).”

In an email, Schildmeier said the hospital's proposal to cut pension benefits “represents yet another insult to the injury nurses and patients suffer every day under current patient care conditions.”

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