Nurses’ vote sends a strong message to Baystate to end illegal staffing proposal and settle fair contract that protects patient safety and local care

GREENFIELD, Mass., April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Registered nurses at Baystate Franklin Medical Center (BFMC), represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), voted 98.2% on Tuesday, April 14, to authorize a limited duration strike of 1-3 days, escalating pressure on Baystate Health to agree to a fair union contract that protects patient safety and preserves local care.

The vote does not mean nurses will automatically go on strike. Instead, it gives the nurses’ elected MNA Bargaining Committee the authority to schedule a strike of between one and three days if necessary, depending on how negotiations proceed. Negotiation sessions are scheduled throughout April, and nurses remain committed to reaching an agreement without a strike if possible. Any strike would require the legally mandated 10-day advance notice to the hospital.

The overwhelmingly positive strike authorization vote follows nurses filing an unfair labor practice (ULP) charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) over what they describe as an illegal and unsafe staffing proposal from Baystate.

“We are united in standing up for our patients and our community,” said Suzanne Love, BFMC RN and Co-Chair of the MNA Bargaining Committee. “This overwhelming strike vote shows Baystate that nurses are committed to securing a contract that ensures patient safety and keeps care local. Baystate must drop its illegal staffing proposal and make an agreement that enables better nurse recruitment and retention.”

Broader Impact on Community and Local Economy

Beyond the immediate impact on patient care, nurses emphasized that a fair union contract is also critical to the economic health of the entire Greenfield and Franklin County community. As the second largest employer in Greenfield and the sixth largest in Franklin County, BFMC plays a major role in the local economy, with nurse wage levels and working conditions impacting the area broadly.

At the same time, nurses care for an increasingly vulnerable patient population. Most BFMC patients rely on Medicare or Medicaid, reflecting a community with significant numbers of elderly and low-income residents. Franklin County is also facing rising unemployment and a sharp increase in mental health hospitalizations, placing additional strain on the local healthcare system.

Despite these realities, Baystate insists on offering wages that lag other unionized hospitals in the region and statewide averages, undermining efforts to recruit and retain experienced nurses. This approach not only threatens safe patient care but also disrespects the community by driving down wages in one of its most important sectors.

“A strong contract doesn’t just protect nurses and patients, it helps stabilize our local economy,” said Marissa Potter, BFMC RN and Co-Chair of the MNA Bargaining Committee. “When Baystate underpays nurses and undermines patient safety, it is not just hurting nurses, it is negatively impacting our entire community.”

Unsafe and Illegal Proposal Prompts ULP Filing

The ULP charge focuses on Baystate’s proposal to use a non-union float pool – bringing in Baystate system nurses from outside BFMC – and tying that proposal to existing contractual nurse-patient limits. The Baystate proposal constitutes bargaining in bad faith in violation of the National Labor Relations Act.

“Baystate is trying to weaken the very standards that keep our patients safe,” said Potter. “Linking safe staffing to the use of non-union float nurses who are unfamiliar with our hospital is both unsafe and illegal. Our strike vote demonstrates Baystate Franklin nurses are dedicated to safe, local patient care.”

BFMC nurses say the Baystate staffing proposal would:

Undermine enforceable staffing protections that are critical to patient safety.
Introduce nurses unfamiliar with the unique demands of a rural community hospital.
Place additional strain on permanent staff and increase risk for patients.

Core Issues in Negotiations

BFMC nurses are calling for a contract that ensures:

Safe, high-quality patient care.
The preservation of hard-fought nurse-patient staffing limits.
Competitive wages to recruit and retain experienced nurses.
Protections for nurses who are sick or injured.
Local, community-based care in Franklin County.

Why Local Union Nurses Matter

At rural community hospitals like Baystate Franklin Medical Center, safe patient care depends on a permanent nursing workforce that knows the community and can manage a wide range of needs without extensive specialty support. While larger urban hospitals have IV teams, wound care nurses, NICUs, and round the clock pharmacies, in rural hospitals well-trained nurses pivot between all these roles and others, several times each shift.

The award-winning Baystate Franklin nurses have experience stepping into these types of roles every day. That versatility is critical in more rural settings. Baystate’s insistence on using a non-union float pool to bring in nurses from Baystate Medical Center in Springfield undermines this care model. These float nurses are not accustomed to the realities of rural hospital care. This can create gaps in care, increased safety risks, and strain on local staff. BFMC nurses are calling on Baystate to invest in their permanent union workforce to preserve access to safe, community-based patient care.

Community Support Growing

Nurses are urging community members to support their efforts by signing a public petition calling on Baystate Health to agree to a fair contract that protects patients and preserves local access to care: www.massnurses.org/FranklinCommunity.

The petition had more than 475 signatures as of April 14.

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Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 26,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

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