Milford Regional Nurses Begin Union Vote With Outdoor Rally

MILFORD, MA — Over 500 nurses at Milford Regional Medical Center this week will begin voting on whether to join a union, and the nurses plan to hold an event in Milford to mark the occasion.

The nurses notified managers at the medical center in December that they would seek to join the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) union. The nurses also filed notice with the federal National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to schedule an election.

Late last week, the NLRB began mailing ballots to about 525 nurses who would be represented by the MNA. They will cast ballots until Feb. 19, and the votes will be counted by federal officials on Feb. 22.

The Milford nurses say they began the union effort after concerns about patient and nurse safety during the coronavirus pandemic weren't adequately addressed by hospital leaders. Major concerns include access to personal protective equipment, and the number of nurses and other hospital staff who have tested positive for the virus — 200 as of Tuesday, according to the MNA.

The nurses will hold a socially distanced rally at the Portuguese Club, 119 Prospect Heights in Milford, beginning at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Passersby will see nurses holding signs and a large banner that says "United We Nurse."

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