Permanent Replacement Nurses Start Work at Saint Vincent Hospital as Strike Crosses 100 Days

Worcester, MA – June 15, 2021 – Over the last 100 days, the hardworking Saint Vincent team has provided care for approximately 130,000 people who continued to choose the hospital for their care. This week, Saint Vincent Hospital welcomes its first group of permanent replacement nurses as the strike by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) reaches 100 days.

The permanent replacement nurses include those new to SVH, nurses who have crossed the picket line and are moving into new positions, and nurses who have been on strike but are just now crossing. They are filling positions left vacant by the MNA nurses who remain on strike.

“We are thrilled to welcome the newest members of our team, and we are eager to continue to welcome more new additions as well as more returning SVH nurses in the weeks to come,” said Saint Vincent Hospital CEO Carolyn Jackson. “I want to commend all of our caregivers, especially the Saint Vincent nurses who put our patients first by crossing the MNA’s picket line, for their courage and resilience.”

So far, 184 nurses - almost 25 percent of the nursing staff – have crossed the picket line to take care of patients. They join highly qualified temporary replacement nurses who have been working for months to ensure Saint Vincent Hospital continues to meet the needs of the community.

“While the MNA is encouraging its members to take the summer off, expressing intentions to prolong the strike until after Labor Day and making false claims about our hospital,” Jackson said, “we’ll be here, with unwavering focus on delivering safe, quality care—day in, day out.”