#United States
#Massachusetts Nurses Association
#St. Luke's Hospital
#New Bedford
#Southcoast Health
Massachusetts Nurses Association Organizes a Picket for More Staffing and Better Wages
On September 17, 2025, registered nurses from St. Luke's Hospital, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), will hold an informational picket. This event is scheduled to take place outside the hospital's main entrance in New Bedford from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM. The goal of the picket is to draw attention to the urgent need for Southcoast Health to invest in safe nursing staffing and ensure fair wages, thereby enhancing the quality of patient care.
As negotiations at the bargaining table progress, nurses have expressed concern that Southcoast Health has not yet agreed to enforceable staffing improvements or wage increases, which they believe are crucial for patient care and nurse retention. According to Kim Beaulieu, RN and Co-Chair of the St. Luke's MNA Bargaining Committee, "St. Luke's Hospital should have staffing levels and RN wages that reflect its position as the largest hospital in the region."
The picket will involve nurses attending while off-duty or on breaks, and they are inviting family, friends, and community members to stand in solidarity for safe nursing practices and respectful working conditions. This event follows a petition delivered to Southcoast Health's CEO David McCready, which gathered over 600 signatures from nurses advocating for a contract that prioritizes patient safety and acknowledges the hard work of the nursing staff.
"We live and work in the Southcoast community and are committed to the welfare of our patients in New Bedford and surrounding towns," stated Terri DeMedeiros, RN and Co-Chair of the St. Luke's MNA Bargaining Committee. She emphasized the importance of addressing key issues in their contract to positively impact both the nursing workforce and patient care quality.
Among the key demands from the nurses are enforceable staffing improvements to protect patients and reduce burnout. This includes setting safe limits on the number of patients each nurse can handle, especially in intermediate care settings and on night shifts, where resource nurse staffing needs to be improved significantly.
Additionally, nurses are advocating for competitive wage increases that align more closely with regional standards. Their counterparts at other hospitals, such as BI Plymouth and Brockton Hospital, currently earn significantly more, making recruitment and retention increasingly challenging.
In their petition to CEO McCready, the nurses explained, "As St. Luke's nurses, we provide exceptional care to our patients and community while managing the overwhelming demands of working at a Level II Trauma Center. Despite praise for our critical role in improving patient lives, the reality of our working conditions does not reflect those words."
The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified existing staffing shortages, prompting nurses to raise alarms about patient safety and job morale deterioration. With the upcoming informational picket, the MNA hopes to underscore the vital connection between adequate staffing, fair pay, and the high-quality care each patient deserves at St. Luke’s Hospital.
The MNA, established in 1903, represents a crucial workforce of dedicated registered nurses who continue to champion improvements within the nursing profession while advocating for the health and safety of their patients and community.
In conclusion, as the informational picket approaches, the voices of the St. Luke's nurses will ring out in unison, stressing their commitment to making St. Luke’s the foremost hospital for both patient care and nursing careers in the region.
As negotiations at the bargaining table progress, nurses have expressed concern that Southcoast Health has not yet agreed to enforceable staffing improvements or wage increases, which they believe are crucial for patient care and nurse retention. According to Kim Beaulieu, RN and Co-Chair of the St. Luke's MNA Bargaining Committee, "St. Luke's Hospital should have staffing levels and RN wages that reflect its position as the largest hospital in the region."
The picket will involve nurses attending while off-duty or on breaks, and they are inviting family, friends, and community members to stand in solidarity for safe nursing practices and respectful working conditions. This event follows a petition delivered to Southcoast Health's CEO David McCready, which gathered over 600 signatures from nurses advocating for a contract that prioritizes patient safety and acknowledges the hard work of the nursing staff.
"We live and work in the Southcoast community and are committed to the welfare of our patients in New Bedford and surrounding towns," stated Terri DeMedeiros, RN and Co-Chair of the St. Luke's MNA Bargaining Committee. She emphasized the importance of addressing key issues in their contract to positively impact both the nursing workforce and patient care quality.
Among the key demands from the nurses are enforceable staffing improvements to protect patients and reduce burnout. This includes setting safe limits on the number of patients each nurse can handle, especially in intermediate care settings and on night shifts, where resource nurse staffing needs to be improved significantly.
Additionally, nurses are advocating for competitive wage increases that align more closely with regional standards. Their counterparts at other hospitals, such as BI Plymouth and Brockton Hospital, currently earn significantly more, making recruitment and retention increasingly challenging.
In their petition to CEO McCready, the nurses explained, "As St. Luke's nurses, we provide exceptional care to our patients and community while managing the overwhelming demands of working at a Level II Trauma Center. Despite praise for our critical role in improving patient lives, the reality of our working conditions does not reflect those words."
The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified existing staffing shortages, prompting nurses to raise alarms about patient safety and job morale deterioration. With the upcoming informational picket, the MNA hopes to underscore the vital connection between adequate staffing, fair pay, and the high-quality care each patient deserves at St. Luke’s Hospital.
The MNA, established in 1903, represents a crucial workforce of dedicated registered nurses who continue to champion improvements within the nursing profession while advocating for the health and safety of their patients and community.
In conclusion, as the informational picket approaches, the voices of the St. Luke's nurses will ring out in unison, stressing their commitment to making St. Luke’s the foremost hospital for both patient care and nursing careers in the region.
Topics Health）
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