Striking Saint Vincent nurses officially lose unemployment benefits

PHOTOS/GRANT WELKER Members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association labor union form a picket line during their strike at Saint Vincent Hospital in 2021.

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By Katherine Hamilton

The striking Saint Vincent Hospital nurses in Worcester will have their unemployment benefits fully discontinued effective the week ending Aug. 7 due to a final decision from the Massachusetts Department of Uninsurance Assistance, according to the hospital and the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

The final decision was sent to the hospital Tuesday night, according to spokesperson Matthew Clyburn.

It comes roughly a month after the hospital said it had requested a reconsideration of the benefits, stating the strike had forced the closure of 100 beds. When a strike causes a stoppage of services, workers can be disqualified for unemployment benefits, according to the MNA website.

"We understand and are concerned that this decision may cause hardship for striking nurses. We believe the proposed contract, once ratified, will provide an immediate significant improvement in economic benefits that can help offset this hardship," the hospital said in a statement.

While the hospital said in a statement all striking nurses who collected unemployment from Aug. 7 on will have to pay the state back, the MNA contested this statement. The MNA has appealed the decision so nurses do not have to pay back any wages for the foreseeable future, said union spokesperson David Schildmeier.

“This will have no impact on the strike,” Schildmeier said in the statement. “Most of the nurses are seeking or have already secured work in area hospitals, vaccination clinics, or other facilities to sustain them during the strike.”

Almost seven months long, the nursing strike originally started over staffing ratios has garnered commentary from state politicians, Worcester legislators, and hospital staff in recent weeks.