Milford Regional Nurses Vote To Join Union

MILFORD, MA — A majority of the 525 nurses at Milford Regional Medical Center have voted to join the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) union, the organization reported Monday afternoon.

The Milford nurses began casting mail-in votes in the union election at the end of January, and voting wrapped on Friday. The federal National Labor Relations Board oversaw the vote count on Monday. The MNA did not report a breakdown of the vote.

The Milford nurses said the unionization effort began after hospital managers did not put in place pandemic safety measures they had asked for.

"When nurses are organized in a union, patients benefit greatly, as does the entire community," union president and ICU nurse Katie Murphy said in a statement. "Nurses at Milford Regional Medical Center now have an equal seat at the table with management to improve their working conditions, protect their nursing practice and address issues impacting patients under their care."

Milford Regional spokeswoman Terri McDonald said the hospital is looking forward to working with the newly unionized workers

Throughout this process, we have been consistent in maintaining our respect for their right to decide for themselves whether or not they supported the MNA. We respect the outcome of this vote," a hospital statement from McDonald read. "Milford Regional Medical Center will do everything we can to assure that this change does not impact the positive working relationship we have with our nurses, the spirit of teamwork that exists across our healthcare system and our commitment to treating all of our employees fairly and with respect."

The MNA is the largest nurses union in the state. Nearby, MNA nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester recently voted to give negotiators permission to strike amid negotiations over staffing and other workplace issues during the pandemic.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Katie Murphy is a Milford nurse. She works at the MetroWest Medical Center and Brigham and Women's Hospital.