Tufts nurses reject latest contract deal

New round of talks expected Monday

Nurses rejected a modified contract offer from Tufts Medical Center last night, moving them one step closer to Boston’s first nurses strike in decades.

A federal mediator has asked both sides to return to the negotiating table, which Jennifer Johnson of the Massachusetts Nurses Association and the hospital said is expected to happen Monday.

“It was overwhelmingly not approved. They voted it down,” said Johnson, who said the union was not releasing the vote tally of the approximately 1,200 nurses. She said the nurses are holding out for “safety” in per-patient staffing levels and competitive pay.

Tufts countered in a statement, “This was an MNA-controlled event with a clear objective. As such, we are not surprised by the results. We will continue to focus on communicating with all 1,200 Tufts Medical Center nurses about the $30 million offer the Medical Center put on the table to address the issues nurses told us were important to them. Our offer provides wage increases of 5.5 to 10.5 percent over four years, as well as improved benefits and staffing, and reflects the deep respect we have for our professional and compassionate nurses. While we have no room left for movement on the financial components of our offer, we look forward to listening and continuing to work toward an agreement at our next bargaining session on June 12.”

In 32 rounds of negotiations, Tufts brought $30 million in investments to the negotiating table to address wage, staffing and pension issues. Tufts offered a 5.5 percent pay increase through 2020 for a majority of its nurses, though the Massachusetts Nurses Association said 5 percent of that would be used to cover strike costs if one should occur.

The hospital said a toplevel, full-time nurse at Tufts makes an average of $152,000 annually. Johnson said the union disputes that figure, saying a nurse would have to work all holidays and extensive overtime shifts. The MNA claims Tufts nurses see the lowest pay among major Boston health centers by a $9-an-hour margin.

Nurses voted in March to authorize a strike, but are obligated to give the hospital 10 days’ notice before following through.