WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - Nurses striking at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester said they will not back down as the hospital’s ownership hires more permanent replacement staffers.
The members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association have been striking at the hospital, which is owned by Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, for more than 150 days. The nurses say they are looking for improvements to staffing so they can better care for their patients.
On Sunday, Tenet announced it had hired 100 “permanent replacement” positions and said it would not negotiate past its last offer.
“However, the hospital stressed that it does not intend to negotiate against its final offer and that the only acceptable response will be for the MNA to put the contract to a vote by its members which, to date, the bargaining committee has refused to allow,” Tenet said in a statement.
But nurse Marie Ritacco said the hires were a tactic to get the union to back down, and said the nurses would continue to fight.
“This is just pure intimidation meant to instill fear, this is a group of nurses that only fears that they cannot provide the care their patients deserve,” Ritacco said.
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