[Antiracism] [Workers' Rights] Workers' Rights Board at Baystate Franklin Medical Center

[WMass Jobs With Justice]

FRANKLIN MEDICAL CENTER NURSES TO TESTIFY TO WORKERS' RIGHTS BOARD 

 

On Thursday July 10, a panel of the Western Massachusetts Jobs with Justice
Workers' Rights Board will take the testimony of nurses at Baystate Franklin
Medical Center in Greenfield and issue a report on collective bargaining
there.  The hearing will be 6:00-7:30pm at First Congregational Church, 43
Silver Street, Greenfield.  The public, the press, and the employer are
invited.  Attendees are asked to come fragrance-free.

 

Across the U.S., Workers' Rights Boards act as "the conscience of the
community" regarding labor relations, exposing employers' misconduct and
also helping workers form unions and reach collective bargaining contracts.
There is more information at http://www.jwj.org/projects/wrb.html.

 

The Western Mass. Jobs with Justice Workers' Rights Board consists of two
dozen "public citizens" in Western Massachusetts.  The following are on the
July 10 panel: 

 

Anne Awad, President/CEO, Caring Health Center Inc (Springfield); Health
Systems Consultant; Amherst Select Person

 

Mary Lavo Ford, Non-profit Manager; former Outreach Director, Community
Health Center of Franklin County; former Mayor of Northampton

 

Ward Morehouse, co-founder, Program on Corporations, Law, and Democracy

 

Rev. Armand Proulx, Second Congregational Church of Greenfield

 

Al Siano, Greenfield City Councilor

 

Miryam Ehrlich Williamson, Medical Writer; former Warwick Select Board
member 

 

The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) has been bargaining a new
contract at Baystate Franklin Medical Center (BFMC) since October 2007.  The
employer, Baystate Health in Springfield, is showing an anti-union animus at
the bargaining table.  It hired Howard Bloom from the well-known
union-busting law firm, Jackson Lewis (http://www.jacksonlewis.com/).  More
information at
http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/the-anti-union-network/for-profit-union-
busters/jackson-lewis-20071018-313-254.html. 

 

Ann Lewin RN will conduct the testimony by BFMC nurses and also provide
basic information.  She is the MNA Senior Chair at BFMC.  A nurse for 26
years, she has been at BFMC for 6 years.  

 

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Jon Weissman, Coordinator

Western Mass Jobs with Justice

640 Page Blvd #101

Springfield MA 01104

(413) 827-0301 

 

Founded in 1987, Jobs with Justice <http://www.jwj.org/> 's mission is to
improve working people's standard of living, fight for job security, and
protect workers' right to organize. We believe workers' rights are human
rights and to be successful, we have to be part of a larger campaign for
economic and social justice. 

 

To that end, "J with J" has created a national coalition and a network of
local coalitions that connect labor, community, student, and faith-based
organizations and activists on workplace and community social justice
campaigns.  Western Mass JwJ - founded June 5, 1993 - is now a coalition of
almost 60 organizations. 

 

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