Nurses of Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod Healthcare voted Monday to authorize a strike, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association, who said this move doesn't send the 62 registered nurses immediately to the picket line.
The Visiting Nurse Association nurses have been involved in an ongoing contract dispute with Cape Cod Healthcare management since February of this year, the association said.
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The nurses have been trying to "win important contract language" that will improve their ability to work safely and effectively, according to the association.
Some of their main concerns include low wages, the need for improved patient assignments and the need for "contract language that adjusts for the unique circumstances affecting care delivery to at-home patients on the Cape."
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"We know what our patients need, and we know how to get there," said Mike Berry, RN and co-chairperson of the VNA's MNA bargaining unit.
The nurses are expected to negotiate again on Wednesday.
Last month, thousands of Brigham and Women's Hospital voted to authorized a strike, but ultimately, a tentative agreement was reached, preventing the strike from happening.
