Butler Hospital employees reach 8 weeks on strike

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Butler Hospital’s striking employees spoke out against what they call Care New England’s “disregard for [their] workers” alongside union caregivers with Women & Infants.

It also marks their eighth week of striking.

Hospital workers across the Care New England system also called on management Wednesday to act in good faith to reach a contract.

This comes as workers said Care New England has been quote “disrespecting worker’s union rights.”

Striking employees also said the hospital tried to stop unemployment benefits.

Striking Butler employees said they’re still waiting for Care New England to negotiate with them, but no dates this week or last week were set to discuss a new contract.

Additionally, striking workers called some of Care New England’s actions “unlawful behavior” and said that the company needed to act in good faith.

In a joint statement, Butler Hospital and Women & Infants Hospital said it has “acted lawfully and in good faith through control negotiations,” and said the accusations of “unlawful behavior” are “misleading and do not reflect the facts.”

The full statement from Butler Hospital and Women & Infants Hospital can be read below:

“Women & Infants Hospital is acting in full accordance with the current collective bargaining agreement negotiated with SEIU 1199 NE and remains committed to working collaboratively with SEIU 1199 NE to support our employees and ensure fair application of our contractual obligations.

Butler Hospital remains steadfast in its commitment to providing the highest quality of care to our patients while supporting a respectful and fair workplace for all employees. We are deeply disappointed by the misinformation being circulated by 1199 SEIU NE regarding ongoing labor negotiations.

Care New England and Butler Hospital have acted lawfully and in good faith throughout contract negotiations. Repeated accusations of “unlawful behavior” are misleading and do not reflect the facts.

We respect our employees’ right to strike, but we also have a duty to maintain critical health services and ensure patient safety. Our focus remains on providing uninterrupted care and finding a resolution that honors our mission and values. Butler Hospital has not locked out employees; they are free to return to work whenever they want to do so.

We urge 1199 SEIU NE to return to the bargaining table with a collaborative mindset. Constructive negotiations—not public mischaracterizations—are the path forward to a fair agreement for all.”