Registered nurses at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute – Merrimack Valley are planning a one-day strike in late September as the union attempts to negotiate a contract.
Nurses plan to picket in front of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute during regular clinic hours on Sept. 27. The strike is prepared to last for 24 hours, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute – Merrimack Valley opened in 2020. Registered nurses voted to unionize in June and July of 2022. This is the first time they have negotiated a contract with this Dana-Farber location separate from the larger facility. The union says competitive pay and securing other benefits are key pain points.
“Dana-Farber executives have left us with no other choice but to schedule a one-day strike to ensure nurses are properly valued and patients continue to have excellent cancer care available in Merrimack Valley,” said Kate Mitchell, a family nurse practitioner at the Merrimack Valley location. “Our number one goal is to provide patients with the advanced cancer and blood disorder treatments they need. Dana-Farber has the resources to make sure nurses are empowered to provide that essential care and should settle a fair contract.”
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Dana-Farber said in a statement emailed to NBC10 Boston that they are disappointed the Merrimack Valley nurses and nurse practitioners are planning a one-day strike despite the fact that Dana-Faber offered "a generous compensation and benefit package" and remained at the bargaining table.
"Every nurse at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute plays a vital role in providing exceptional patient care. We share a common mission: to reduce the burden of cancer," DFCI said. "Last year the National Labor Relations Board decided that the Merrimack Valley bargaining unit should be separate from the Dana-Farber Boston bargaining unit and since December we have been negotiating in good faith to create the first collective bargaining agreement with our Merrimack Valley nurses. We welcomed the involvement of a federal mediator in July."
Dana-Farber said, as always, they remain committed "to working toward a fair and equitable agreement and look forward to continuing negotiations at the session scheduled next week."
The planned strike follows a 33-1 vote on August 2 where nurses at the Merrimack Valley location voted in favor of a potential strike. Nurses were required by labor law to give Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at least 10 days’ notice before the strike.
An informational picket was held on June 2 and was attended by nurses, community members, union supporters, and elected officials. Massachusetts state Sen.Pavel Payano, D-Lawrence, and Massachusetts state Rep. Ryan Hamilton, D-Methuen were among those who came out.
“As you know, these healthcare professionals are on the front lines of caring for patients and liaising with families,” Rep. Hamilton wrote in a letter to Dr. Laurie Glimcher, president, and CEO of Dana-Farber. “But a lack of basic employment protections, the denial of equal retirement and benefits options, and 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.”
Sentiments shared by nurses were exacerbated once Dana-Farber executives announced Thursday that its affiliation with Brigham and Women’s Hospital will be shifting to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to construct a freestanding inpatient cancer hospital. Nurses claim this plan will cost millions of dollars while the institution refuses to make investments in the existing nurse workforce in Merrimack Valley.
There is a negotiation session scheduled for Sept. 19. It is expected that additional negotiation sessions will be held before the strike date.
