December 17, 2021

Senators Warren, Markey and Reps. McGovern, Trahan Statement on Tentative Agreement Between St. Vincent Nurses and Tenet Healthcare

Washington, DC –Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Representative Jim McGovern (MA-02), and Representative Lori Trahan (MA-03) released the following joint statement today after St. Vincent nurses and Tenet Healthcare, reached a tentative contract agreement after more than two years of negotiations. St. Vincent’s nurses have been striking for 285 days, making it the longest nurses’ strike in the nation in more than 15 years and the second longest in state history.

“Today’s tentative agreement between the St. Vincent Hospital nurses and Tenet Healthcare is a win for Worcester, for organized labor, for the health care workers who have stood on the frontlines of this pandemic, and, ultimately, for patients,” said the lawmakers in a joint statement. “We are pleased to see this agreement includes a guarantee for all nurses who went out on strike the right to return to work in the same position, as well as the improvements to patient safety. As Massachusetts is again seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases, we are grateful that these health care heroes are able to return to work. We thank Secretary Walsh and the Biden administration for helping to bring about this agreement and an end to this strike.”

The lawmakers have continuously called for protections and benefits for the St. Vincent nurses and urged Tenet Health Care to come back to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith. They had previously sent a letter to Tenet Healthcare expressing concerns regarding the contract negotiations.

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