Union nurses at St. Mary Medical Center returned to work Sunday morning after being off the job since early Tuesday.
The strike took place Tuesday and Wednesday but nurses were not to return to work until Sunday due to the employment agreement the hospital, which is owned by Trinity Health, entered in with fill-in nurses.
Advertisements
The hospital ownership and nearly 800 union nurses that are part of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) were willing to continue contract talks but no negotiations had been set as of Saturday.
Striking nurses held a days-long picket outside hospital along Langhorne-Newtown Road in Middletown Township as part of their call for a contract that would restore what they believe are proper staffing levels and increase pay to improve retention. They noted that St. Mary Medical Center is one of the most profitable hospitals in the Trinity Health system.
Bucks County Commissioners Chairperson Diane Ellis-Marseglia, a Democratic, and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican, have supported the nurses.
Advertisements
“This is personal to me. This is my hometown hospital,” Fitzpatrick said, noting his family has a number of nurses, including ones who work at the hospital.
“Stand strong,” he told the nurses. “You’re on the side of the angels.”
Advertisements
Throughout the strike, passing drivers beeped in support of the nurses. The walkout during a spike in COVID-19 drew plenty of national press.
The nurses have raised concern that the roughly 200 contract nurses serving patients while they were on strike were from other places, including outside of the Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey area.
PASNAP noted in a statement that the Bucks County Commissioners sent a letter to the hospital warning them to following new state COVID-19 guidelines for out-of-state nurses.
Advertisements
Dr. Lawrence Brilliant, the president of the hospital, said they worked with the health department and experts when dealing with staff working.
“Once PASNAP chose to exercise their right to strike, St. Mary had no choice but to hire replacement nurses to uphold our mission of caring for our patients and community. With the assistance of the Health Department and local medical experts, we complied with applicable recommendations so that we could onboard these visiting nurses,” Brilliant said.
Advertisements
The hospital president noted that there had been reports of “several known COVID-19 exposures, symptoms, and positive tests among those engaging in strike and picket activities led by PASNAP.”
“Despite having received notice of known exposures, symptoms and positive tests on the picket line, the union chose to continue to picket in large numbers without, in our opinion, following the required CDC and Health Department COVID-related safety protocols. The hospital acknowledges the union’s legal right to strike and picket. However, in light of PASNAP’s message of ‘safety’ we are shocked that the union has all but completely disregarded published public health recommendations to protect our community,” Brilliant said.
Advertisements
The union said the hospital president’s message was a way to “distract” from the issues regarding staffing.
“I find it puzzling that Trinity is suddenly concerned about my risk of COVID-19 exposure while I am outside wearing a mask, said nurse Debbi Bozeman. “When I’m working inside the hospital, we are forced to eat lunch in small rooms with other co-workers. The hospital also holds lunch-and learn training sessions with large groups of residents not wearing masks.”
Advertisements
The strike comes more than a year since the nurses unionized last year.
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
