Tufts Medical Center officials in the early hours of May 6 narrowly avoided a nurse's strike that had been planned to begin hours later. Administrators reached an agreement on a contract extension agreement with the union for Tufts Medical's 1,200 nurses, according to Barbara Tiller, a nurse at Tufts Medical and chair of the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) bargaining unit.
The 18-month contract extension contains provisions that increase staffing, limit nurses' patient assignments in a number of areas in the hospital, curtail the use of mandatory overtime, and protect nurses when they are asked to float to other areas of the hospital.
In addition, all nurses will get a 2-percent wage increase.
Tufts Medical and the MNA have been in negotiations since November following changes in the hospital's staffing pattern early last year.
The MNA claims that the changes meant that, among other grievances, too many patients were assigned to each nurse, thus making the working conditions less safe.
The hospital has, with the new contract, agreed to limit patient assignments for nurses on the medical-surgical floors to six patients on the night shift and to no more than five patients on the day and evening shifts, Tiller told the Daily.
Previously, the hospital had a seven-to-one patient-to-nurse ratio, Tiller said.
"Six-to-one is still a tough assignment, but the hospital is telling us that they will meet us and collaborate and work on getting resources to the nurses better than they have in the past," Tiller said.
The hospital has also agreed to limit patient assignments for nurses in the intensive care units (ICU) to two patients per nurse in most cases, according to David Schildmeier, director of public communications for the MNA.
According to Julie Jette, director of media relations and publications at Tufts Medical, the MNA and the center have agreed that current staffing levels for day and evening shifts are appropriate and will not be changed.
"There are rare occasions that necessitate flexibility and changes to the current staffing patterns," Jette told the Daily. "In these situations, staff nurses will work with nurse managers to make suitable and safe adjustments."
The contract also limits the use of mandatory overtime so that nurses are allowed to refuse overtime if they are ill. Nurses will not be required to work more than 16 hours in a single shift and may not be assigned more than 12 hours of mandatory overtime in a calendar quarter.
In the past, nurses have been mandated to stay overtime nearly every day, but recent additions to the hospital staff will limit the use of mandatory overtime, Tiller said.
Tiller said that she is satisfied with the overtime provision and the agreement overall.
"They beefed up the staffing and they're going to keep it that way so that the mandatory overtime isn't happening every day," Tiller said.
As of press time, Tufts Medical planned to hold an all-day vote on May 19 to ratify the contract, according to Schildmeier. All nurses at Tufts Medical who pay their dues to the MNA were able to cast a vote by a secret ballot process.
Schildmeier believed the contract would pass.
"The nurses, from what we've been hearing, have been thrilled with the agreement, and there's always someone who will want more, but overall, there's overwhelming support for the agreement."
Schildmeier said this contract, if approved, would serve to provide safer patient care.
"I am optimistic that the hospital is sincere in its commitment and its commitment to the nurses, that they understand that they have work to do to restore the trust and to listen to the nurses," Schildmeier said.
Jette echoed Schildmeier's optimism.
"We are extremely pleased to be moving forward with our nurses," Jette said. "This fair settlement responds to the needs of our nurses and maintains the flexibility necessary to adjust to the diverse patient needs we treat in an academic medical center setting."
Tiller added that the nurses would continue to meet throughout the 18-month duration of the contract to make sure that the process runs smoothly.
"We'll be working on this process through the 18 months," she said. "If they're not hearing us or if they fly back to where they were, it will be a fight."
