St.

Vincent Hospital Nurses Strike Continues

WORCESTER- As the COVID-19 pandemic rises, the recent debacles between Saint
Vincent’s and their nurses seeks resolutions. With a resurgence in the pandemic and a reduced
staff to one of Worcester’s biggest Medical Centers has led to a furious approach towards
reaching an agreement between the sides.

UMass Memorial Head of Health, Dr. Eric Dickson has pleaded that the two sides need to “get a
room, and figure this thing out.” While also calling it a “crisis situation,” the COVID case’s
increase has now led to a more panic sense with over 600 nurses sidelined outside of Saint V’s
strike.

Now reaching the six-month mark, it was reported that the mid-August negotiation came inches
close to an agreement. This divide started from the unfair labor practices that were filed by the
nurses.

Marlene Pellegrino, a State Vincent’s nurse and co-chair of National Labor Relations has
reiterated that “it is time to end the fight and to bring us back to our positions.” While also later
adding that it needs to be under a revised and solved system, “we are not going back in the
building with these unfair practices we have filed.”

This strike has become the longest nurses’ strike in Massachusetts’ state history. While the
nurses were receiving unemployment benefits all the up until September 4th, a deal is now even
more anticipated in the near future.