Nurses at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital reached an agreement with management last month on a new union contract, staving off the chance of a one-day nurses’ strike that had previously been authorized.
The two parties settled contract negotiations in November and the union voted on Dec. 5 to ratify the contract, which includes pay raises and changes to the union’s insurance. Laura Hilliard, a registered nurse at the hospital and the chair of the bargaining unit, said the nurses were pushing for change to make it easier for nurses to stay long-term at the hospital.
The approximately 100 registered nurses at the hospital voted Wednesday to greenlight a potential one-day strike, according to a statement from the Massachusetts Nurses Union.
Contract talks between management and nurses at the Martha's
Vineyard Hospital are now at a bitter standoff, and hospital chief
executive officer Kevin Burchill said this week that he is prepared for
the possibility of a strike.
"Everything is now off the table. We're prepared for the
worst but we expect the best," he said.
The state has announced the award of a $104,974 workforce training fund grant to Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
The grant will fund a program to train 10 employees to become licensed practical nurses in 10 months. In addition to the grant, Windemere will fund $244,644 of the training program.
Four years ago we began our quest for a licensed practical nurse program for the Island to help staff Windemere and the hospital. Our dream was to provide an opportunity for our incredible staff in their educational pursuits.
