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MNA: St. Luke's Hospital Failed to Reach Agreement with Nurses on Monday; Nurses and Supporters to Hold Informational Picket September 17 in New Bedford

Nurses at St. Luke's are seeking contractually enforceable staffing limits to keep patients safe and competitive wages to aid recruitment and retention

NEW BEDFORD, Mass., Sept. 16, 2025 -- St. Luke's Hospital nurses will hold an informational picket on Wednesday, September 17 after negotiations over a new contract went into the evening on Monday but did not result in an agreement. The nurses, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), continue to seek enforceable staffing limits for resource nurses and nurses caring for intermediary care/stepdown patients. Nurses are also bargaining with owner Southcoast Health for a wage increase that is in line with what nurses are receiving at other hospitals in the region such as Cape Cod Healthcare and BI Plymouth Hospital.  

Nurse staffing in the Family-Centered Unit (FCU) has been another important part of negotiations. Right now, the St. Luke's FCU operates under a dysfunctional system in which nurses are forced to practice in areas in which they do not feel competent as they are floated from area to area within the FCU (i.e. labor & delivery, postpartum and Level II nursery). Both nurses and patients suffer in this system. St. Luke's nurses are calling on the hospital to provide FCU patients with specialized care from specialized nurses. However, on Monday, management presented a revised proposal on FCU staffing that would perpetuate this system by not providing timely training and not allowing nurses to select their own specialties.

Informational Picket Details

Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Time: 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Outside the main entrance of St. Luke's Hospital, New Bedford, MA
Details: This is an informational picket and not a strike. Nurses may attend while off duty or on break. Family, friends, and community members are strongly encouraged to join in solidarity for quality care and respect for St. Luke's nurses.

On September 3, elected MNA nurse leaders at St. Luke's delivered a petition signed by more than 600 nurses to Southcoast Health CEO David McCready. The petition urged the hospital system to build on the progress at the table and agree to a contract that protects patients, values nurses, and strengthens the community's access to safe, high-quality care.

"St. Luke's Hospital should have staffing levels and RN wages that reflect St. Luke's position as the largest hospital and leader of patient care in the region," said Kim Beaulieu, RN, and Co-Chair of the St. Luke's MNA Bargaining Committee. "With this informational picket, nurses are urging Southcoast to work with us to make St. Luke's the best hospital for patient care and the top hospital where nurses seek to work."

"We live and work in the Southcoast community and are dedicated to the patients of New Bedford and surrounding towns," said Terri DeMedeiros, RN, and Co-Chair of the St. Luke's MNA Bargaining Committee. "St. Luke's nurses are committed to addressing the final priorities of our contract to positively impact our nursing workforce and the quality of patient care at our hospital."

What Nurses Are Seeking

  • Safe Staffing: Enforceable improvements to protect patients and reduce burnout, including safe limits for nurses caring for intermediate care/stepdown patients and better resource nurse staffing, especially on night shift.

  • Competitive Wages: Pay increases that bring St. Luke's nurses closer to regional standards. Nurses at BI Plymouth, Brockton Hospital, Cape Cod Healthcare, and Good Samaritan Medical Center earn significantly more, making recruitment and retention at St. Luke's difficult.

In their petition, nurses wrote to CEO McCready:

"As St. Luke's nurses, we provide exceptional care to our patients and community while navigating the enormous demands that come with working at the largest hospital in Southeastern Massachusetts and a Level II Trauma Center. We have heard praise from Southcoast for the 'crucial role' we play in improving the lives of our patients and how our efforts are 'at the very heart of the care' Southcoast provides. Unfortunately, these words do not always match the reality of our experience.

"Since the COVID-19 pandemic, RN staffing shortages have worsened, with nurses continuing to raise alarms about patient safety and deteriorating morale. These conditions are unsustainable. To address these issues, we are seeking a fair contract that properly values and supports the essential care we provide."

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Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 26,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association