Nurses, UMass make progress
While the rhetoric in the long-running labor dispute describes pay cuts, no reductions in present pay are on the table, says Kathie Logan, chair of the union bargaining unit. What the MNA has described as cuts are actually reductions in projected wages, and this item was still on the table at press time. MNA official Charles Rasmussen says the deal UMass management wants could cost upper-tier nurses $8,000 in lost future benefits over the life of the three-year contract under negotiation. But for younger nurses just starting out, the modifications could easily mount into the "hundreds of thousands of dollars" over a 20 to 25-year nursing career.
UMass management was not available for comment at press time but has repeatedly stressed that its position is to keep UMass competitive in its industry, both from a workforce and capital investment standpoint. In a major change of direction, UMass management elected to let senior nurses keep their current defined benefit pension, while new nurses would receive defined-contribution plans.
MNA’s Rasmussen says the union has been advocating for benefits for future UMass nurses because so many of the current negotiating committee members are nearing retirement age and may be retired when the contract comes up for renewal again. He also cites the need to keep Worcester nurses "in the ball park" with Boston-area counterparts in terms of pay. A $5-to-$8-per-hour differential may not make it worthwhile for a Worcester nurse to work in a Boston hospital, but a $15-$20 hourly differential would tip that balance, Rasmussen says. He expressed hope that talks would lead to a resolution of outstanding labor-management issues.
Christina P. O’Neill can be reached at coneill@wbjournal.com
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