Registered nurses at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute – Merrimack Valley voted in favor of a strike Wednesday, the Massachusetts Nurses Association said, as they attempt to negotiate a contract.
The 33-1 vote authorizes a one-day strike at the Methuen location, if necessary. A date for that strike has not been set and would require a 10-day notice to the hospital.
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. There are around 600 nurses at Dana Farber's main campus in Boston who are under a separate contract. The union is calling for a fair contract at Merrimack Valley, which they say requires equal benefits and competitive pay.
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“Dana-Farber nurses in Merrimack Valley deserve equal benefits and competitive pay, and by refusing to settle a fair contract, DFCI is telling local nurses and patients it does not value us as much because of where we live,” said Errin D’Arcangelo, Oncology Nurse Navigator at the Merrimack Valley location. “Dana-Farber executives have the power to make a positive difference and avert this strike by settling a fair contract.”
A spokesperson for Dana-Farber told NBC10 Boston that they have been negotiating for more than seven months, after the National Labor Relations Board decided the Merrimack Valley bargaining unit should be separate from the Boston location.
"We welcomed the involvement of a federal mediator in July," the statement read in part. "We are disappointed that despite Dana-Farber offering a generous compensation and benefit package and remaining at the table, the Merrimack Valley nurses and nurse practitioners voted to authorize a strike.
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Now, as always, we remain committed to working toward a fair and equitable agreement and look forward to continuing negotiations at the sessions scheduled later this month."
State Rep. Ryan M. Hamilton sent a letter to hospital leadership Wednesday calling for them to bargain in good faith. The Democrat from Methuen pointed to a gap between pay at the main campus and Merrimack Valley, as well as a lack of overtime pay, concerns about retirement benefits and vacation time, and a lack of flexibility, as key issues at hand.
It remains to be seen if the two sides will reach an agreement.
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