On September 27, the nurses at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Merrimack Valley location are planning a one-day strike in an effort to negotiate a contract that includes competitive pay and secured benefits, a decision causing tensions to rise between staff and executives. This strike, organized and supported by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), follows a 33-1 vote on August 2, wherein nurses at the Merrimack Valley location voted in favor of a potential strike, according to NBC Boston.
Since its opening in 2020, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute - Merrimack Valley has aimed to provide patients in the region with advanced cancer and blood disorder care. Despite these commendable intentions, tensions have been mounting among the staff due to ongoing negotiations regarding their first contract, as reported by PR Newswire.
Dana-Farber Merrimack Valley nurses voted to unionize in June and July of 2022 and have been diligently working to negotiate a contract with their employer. A federal mediator joined negotiations this summer, but Dana-Farber has continued to refuse to compromise on key issues, such as maintaining benefits throughout the life of the contract and offering daily overtime according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
Nurses at Dana-Farber Merrimack Valley argue that their proximity to the larger main campus facility in Boston should not negatively impact their pay and benefits. In a letter to Dr. Laurie Glimcher, president, and CEO of Dana-Farber, Massachusetts state Rep. Ryan Hamilton wrote, "A substantial gap in pay between nurses based in Boston and nurses based in Merrimack Valley are threatening the good work of these community members."
These tensions have only been exacerbated by recent announcements that Dana-Farber plans to shift its affiliation from Brigham and Women's Hospital to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and construct a freestanding inpatient cancer hospital, a project that could cost millions of dollars. Nurses argue that these resources could be better spent investing in the existing workforce at the Merrimack Valley location, as noted by NBC Boston.
A negotiation session is scheduled to take place on September 19, and it is expected that additional negotiation sessions will be held prior to the strike date. Should these negotiations fail to reach a satisfactory agreement, the upcoming strike will undoubtedly strain relations further between the nurses and Dana-Farber executives, casting a shadow over the future wellbeing of staff and patients at the Merrimack Valley location.
