New Measure Prohibits Hospitals from Forcing Nurses to Work Excessive Hours, a Dangerous Practice Being Used As an Alternative to Providing Safe Staffing Levels. Numerous Studies Have Linked Forced Overtime to a Rise in Costly Medical Errors, Patient Complications and Patient Deaths as Exhausted Nurses Provide Substandard Care. Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United, July 31, 2012 Boston - The Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United applauds the Massachusetts Legislature for its efforts to improve patient care conditions in Massachusetts hospitals by approving a ban ... Massachusetts

Senate Vote Today Follows Yesterday's Vote in House to Save Taunton State & Conduct Mental Health Study. Massachusetts Nurses Association, July 12, 2012 Boston - Today the Massachusetts Senate cast a unanimous vote to override Governor Deval Patrick's veto of funds necessary to keep Taunton State Hospital open, and voted to override his veto of an independent study on the mental health needs of Commonwealth residents. The senate action follows yesterday’s unanimous override votes by the House of Representatives, thereby ensuring the survival of Taunton State Hospital, with 45 beds, while providing the state with an opportunity ... MNA

Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United, June 21, 2012 Greenfield – The Greenfield Town Council voted this week in favor of a resolution calling on the administration of Baystate Health Systems to reach a “swift and fair resolution to current contract negotiations” with the registerd nurses of Baystate Frankin Medical Center in Greenfield “to ensure continued quality health care services to the community.” The council vote was 6 – 0 (with four abstentions). The vote follows a nearly unanimous vote in favor of a similar resolution by 3,000 delegates at the Democratic Convention held earlier this month ... Greenfield

Baystate Signs Settlement, Backs Off Illegal Actions. NLRB Decision Coincides with Vote At Democratic Convention Calling Upon Baystate to Respect Nurses Union Rights. Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United, June 7, 2012 Canton - The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has sided with the Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United in finding that the Baystate Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice (BVNAH) unlawfully declared impasse and implemented their so-called “final offer” on February 16, 2012. After a lengthy investigation by the NLRB they concluded that the unfair labor practice charge that the Union filed against Baystate had merit ... National

Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United, June 7, 2012 Springfield - The 2012 Massachusetts Democratic State Convention has passed a resolution condemning Baystate Health for their blatantly anti-union activities and called on them to respect the unionized nurses and return to the table and bargain in good faith. The nurses and their supporters needed to get 50 delegate signatures for their resolution to be voted on. After only a few hours of signature gathering the nurses had more than 650 delegates signed on. Among those who signed the petition were several State legislators and numerous local elected officials. ... Democratic

Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United, June 6, 2012 Congratulations to all those MNA members and supporters of MNA members who made calls into the legislature over the last two days, as we have just learned that the amendment that would have allowed unlicensed personnel to administer medications was withdrawn from the payment reform bill. Better still, the bill includes language promoted by the MNA to ban the dangerous practice of mandatory overtime. This is the power of the MNA and the power of nursing on display. Stay tuned for further developments in this process as this bill now moves to the house and senate conference committee.

Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United, June 6, 2012 The City of Worcester, in partnership with the Worcester School Department, has budgeted for a full-time nurse in every public school next school year. This is the result of many years of advocacy by the Worcester school nurses who have worked hard to educate Worcester School Committee members and other elected officials about the complexity of the role of the school nurse and the need for a nurse in every school for the entire school day. In these tough economic times and with limited resources at their disposal, elected officials have difficult choices to make. Worcester school nurses made the case that investing in the health of the children they care for should be a priority.

19 more teaching posts funded. Nick Kotsopoulos, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, June 6, 2012 Worcester -  City and school officials have worked together to come up with $1.7 million to hire additional teachers and public health nurses in the public schools next fiscal year. The funding will allow hiring 19 more teachers than what had originally been budgeted for; 10 of those will be in positions that will reduce the number of elementary classrooms expected to have more than 25 students. ... Worcester

Robert Weisman, Boston Globe, May 25, 2012 Unionized nurses at Boston Medical Center are protesting a new round of job cuts, following a hospital decision to shut down an acute-injury rehabilitation unit on July 1. Overall, the Boston University teaching hospital will eliminate nearly 40 positions, including 31 full-time equivalent positions at the rehab unit and about nine others from closing beds and converting double rooms to single rooms at the hospital’s Newton Pavilion. With more than 300 open positions at the hospital, however, Boston Medical Center officials said many of the nurses and therapists whose jobs are being cut ... Nurses

Julie M. Donnelly, Boston Business Journal, May 24, 2012

The Massachusetts Nurses Association says Boston Medical Center (BMC) plans to eliminate a total of 51 full-time equivalent nursing jobs, starting next week. The union says 8 of the positions will be cut at the East Newton campus, in conjunction with the closure of 18 beds. The organization says another 31 positions will be lost with the closure of BMC's rehabilitation unit, along with another 12 positions in Boston.

After Nurses Agree to Contract Extension with No Pay Increase, The Hospital Refuses to Provide Early Retirement Incentives and Training Program to Lessen  the Impact of the Layoff on Younger Nurses. Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United, May 24, 2012 Boston – As nurses prepare for yet another round of layoffs at Boston Medical Center with the MNA union bumping process scheduled for May 31, the nurses at the hospital are outraged by BMC management’s refusal to heed the nurses requests for implementation of an early retirement incentive plan and operating room training program, which would lessen the impact of the layoff ... BMC

Hospital in talks with unions over budget reductions. Rich Harbert, Duxbury Reporter, May 17, 2012 Plymouth - Reduced reimbursements from Medicare, Medicaid and health insurers have Jordan Hospital looking to find millions in budget cuts. Hospital officials have been meeting with representatives of two employee unions to find a way to minimize the impact of those cuts on its staff. Jordan Hospital spokesman Chris Smalley said the hospital is faced with reimbursement reductions totaling $7 million and must reduce expenses accordingly. ... Jordan

Sandra Constantine, Springfield Republican, April 26, 2012 West Springfield - The School Committee has unanimously approved a three-year collective bargaining agreement for school nurses that offers no cost-of-living raises for fiscal 2012, the current financial year. 

The board adopted the pact Tuesday with the local unit of the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

 School Department Business Manager Carey G. Sheehan said the agreement mirrors that of the ones settled with other collective bargaining units representing School Department employees. Those groups include unions representing teachers, custodians, clerical workers, food service employees and teacher aides. ... West

Frontline Caregivers Say State’s Mental Health System is Already in Shambles.
Shortage of Beds and Lack of Funding Jeopardizes Patient Safety.
Proposed Closing Will Be Devastating for the State’s Most Vulnerable Residents.
Leading to Overcrowding of Emergency Rooms, Increased Homelessness and Suicide. Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United, April 25, 2012 Boston – Last night the state’s House of Representatives failed to adopt a strong amendment preventing the closure of Taunton State Hospital, which also would have called for a comprehensive study of the growing mental health crisis in Massachusetts, opting instead to pass an anemic consolidated amendment ... House

We Need Every MNA Member to Call Their Legislator TODAY To Save Taunton State Hospital and Protect Mental Health Services. Massachusetts Nurses Association, April 13, 2012 We have a crisis in Massachusetts! Mental Health Services are inadequate and those seeking treatment are often unable to access it. Our emergency departments are overcrowded with psychiatric patients who can’t access needed inpatient and community services. Our inpatient psychiatric units and/or beds are being eliminated. And now the Patrick Administration is seeking to close Taunton State Hospital, which will only make matters worse for this vulnerable population. ... Call