St. Luke’s nurses plan informational picket, push for staffing limits and wage increase

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — In New Bedford, nurses at Saint Luke’s Hospital will hold an informational picket this afternoon, after failing to reach an agreement with the hospital and its owners earlier this week.

According to the nurses represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, bargaining with SouthCoast Health failed Monday.

The nurses are seeking staffing limits, and a wage increase.

That picket will be outside the hospital at 2:30.

When reached for comment, Alicia Pimentel, Associate Chief Nursing Officer at St. Luke’s Hospital said:

SouthCoast Health is always advocating for our employees so they can provide exceptional care and service to the people of the South Coast region. To date, the organization and the MNA have completed 22 bargaining sessions in good faith. 

As a not-for-profit community health system, we remain committed to reaching an agreement that includes fair, equitable and sustainable wage increases for both the hospital and our staff. We are likewise committed to ensuring sufficient staffing to deliver the high-caliber patient care and service that SouthCoast Health is known for. We greatly appreciate all our employees and their ongoing dedication to caring for our community.