Framingham Union Hospital nurses vote to join union by 188-37 vote

Photo | Grant Welker MetroWest Medical Center's Framingham Union Hospital

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Framingham Union Hospital now has more unionized employees, as the healthcare facility’s nurses voted to join the Massachusetts Nurses Association union.

Approximately 280 nurses participated in the election, according to a press release issued by MNA on Thursday, with 188 votes in favor of joining the union and 37 votes opposed. The vote followed a September petition to the National Labor Relations Board requesting the vote.

“We are thrilled to have our union,” Adam Crawford, a registered nurse at Framingham Union, said in the release. “Framingham Union nurses now have a strong and independent voice to address the patient safety issues we face daily. As union nurses, we'll use our legal rights to improve care conditions and our nursing practice.”

The union identified a number of causes that inspired Framingham Union’s nurses to join their ranks, including the desire to improve the quality and safety of patient care and to promote a safe and healthy working environment.

The Canton-based union said the campaign overcame union-busting efforts from Tenet Healthcare, the Texas-based operators of Framingham Union. Tenet filed an appeal with the NLRB that delayed the vote.

"We value our nurses and respect their decision to be represented by the MNA," a Tenet spokesperson told WBJ via email. "We intend to bargain in good faith once the union is certified by the National Labor Relations Board.”

Following the election, the hospital's nurses will now establish local guidelines and vote to elected leaders and a bargaining committee in the run-up to their first contract negotiations.

MNA is the largest union of nurses and healthcare professionals in Massachusetts, with more than 25,000 members.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated from a previous version to include a quote from a Tenet spokesperson.