Resolution - Nurse Support — File 26-1181

A resolution in support of the nurses and healthcare workers of MGB Home Care and Brigham and Women’s Hospital WHEREAS: Nurses are a fundamental resource for a healthy community; and WHEREAS: MGB Home Care and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) are essential providers of healthcare services for the residents of Somerville and Middlesex County; and WHEREAS: Registered nurses at BWH have been engaged in contract negotiations with Mass General Brigham and are seeking a fair union contract that protects patients by providing competitive cost of living increases, affordable health insurance choices and safe limits on temporary staff to protect high-quality patient care; and WHEREAS: Clinicians at MGB Home Care have been engaged in contract negotiations with Mass General Brigham and are seeking their fair, market competitive, first union contract that protects patients, preserves access to high-quality local care while supporting recruitment and retention; and WHEREAS: Weakening these staffing protections would risk patient safety, increase nurse burnout, and make it more difficult to recruit and retain experienced nurses; and WHEREAS: Proposals to replace investment in local nurses with non-union travel nurses undermines continuity of care and the stability of the local healthcare workforce; and WHEREAS: The community depends on BWH nurses and MGB Home Care Clinicians to provide high-quality, compassionate care to neighbors, families, and residents across Middlesex County; and WHEREAS: A fair contract that supports staffing, wages, and working conditions will strengthen patient care and help ensure that healthcare services remain accessible locally; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That this Council supports the efforts of the clinicians of MGB Home Care in securing a fair, market competitive, first union contract that supports recruitment and retention, and protects access to high-quality patient care and provides reasonable, industry-recognized standards for safety and working conditions; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That this Council also supports the efforts of the nurses of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in securing a contract that supports recruitment and retention of nurses by providing competitive cost of living increases, affordable health insurance choices and safe limits on temporary staff to protect high-quality patient care; and this council encourages Mass General Brigham to negotiate in good faith to reach such agreements; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That a copy of this resolution shall be delivered to the CEO of Mass General Brigham and Chair of the MGB Board of Directors, the state and federal legislative delegation representing Somerville, and any other appropriate stakeholders.