Cooley Dickinson Hospital Nurses and Western Mass Labor Federation to Host Community Forum on November 17 Ahead of Potential 1-Day Strike

Nurses will discuss the challenging patient care conditions they face at Cooley as Mass General Brigham refuses to agree to a fair contract

NORTHAMPTON, Mass., Nov. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Registered nurses at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), are inviting the public to a community forum on Monday, November 17, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Elk's Lodge (17 Spring St., Northampton) to discuss their ongoing fight for a fair contract with Mass General Brigham (MGB).

The event, co-hosted by the Western Mass Area Labor Federation, will feature Cooley nurses, local elected officials, and community leaders. Nurses will speak about the importance of safe staffing, competitive wages, and affordable health insurance for the nurses who care for this community's patients.

Cooley nurses recently voted overwhelmingly to authorize a potential one-day strike after months of negotiations in which MGB –  the state's largest and wealthiest hospital system – has refused to make meaningful investments in nurse retention and patient safety. The nurses have emphasized that this fight is not only about fair treatment for nurses but about ensuring that Cooley Dickinson remains a viable and safe community hospital for Northampton and surrounding towns.

Community Forum Details
Date: Monday, November 17, 2025
Time: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Elk's Lodge, 17 Spring Street, Northampton, MA
Details: Join us to learn, ask questions, and show your support for Cooley nurses. Together, we can protect our patients, hospital, and community.

"When nurses are stretched too thin, patients feel the impact," said Rosie Tottser, Cooley Dickinson RN and MNA Committee Co-Chair. "Our community depends on this hospital, and our patients deserve the same level of care and safety as those at other Mass General Brigham facilities. We are asking for fairness and the resources we need to keep nurses at the bedside."

"This forum is a chance for our neighbors to hear directly from the nurses who care for them every day," said Aaron Winston, Cooley Dickinson RN and MNA Committee Co-Chair. "When MGB chooses profits over people, our local hospital suffers. Together with our community, we are demanding better."

What Cooley Nurses Are Fighting For

• Safe RN Staffing: Nurses at Cooley often care for too many patients at once, increasing the risk of errors and burnout. A fair contract with enforceable staffing standards will improve recruitment and retention.
• Competitive Wages: Cooley nurses earn up to $15 per hour less than their counterparts at UMass Memorial and far less than nurses at other MGB facilities who recently secured raises. This wage gap is driving turnover and jeopardizing patient care.
• Affordable Health Insurance: MGB wants to replace Cooley's current health plans with higher-cost MGB plans and redefine full-time status from 30 to 36 hours, reducing coverage eligibility for many nurses. Nurses are fighting for affordable, contractually protected benefits and a fair definition of full-time work.

Why This Matters to the Community

Cooley Dickinson Hospital is an essential health care resource for Pioneer Valley. When MGB fails to support the frontline nurses who deliver most of the direct patient care, the community pays the price in longer wait times, nurse turnover, and reduced access to quality care. By standing with nurses in their effort to secure a fair contract, residents can help protect the future of their local hospital and ensure that Cooley Dickinson remains a place where patients and nurses thrive together.

MGB Financial Background

• MGB CEO Anne Klibanski made $8.4M in FY2023 (the latest year available) – a 40% raise in one year – including $4.3 million in bonuses, according to the Boston Globe.
• From 2018 to 2023, MGB executives and key employees made $819 million in total salary. They made a combined $100 million in bonuses, according to MGB filings.
• Cooley Dickinson alone reported $9.7 million in profit in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024 according to the Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA).
• According to the Boston Globe, "the MGB system found itself $2 billion richer in the year ending in September [2024], almost doubling the $1.2 billion net margin the system reported the year prior."
• MGB is spending $2 billion expanding Massachusetts General Hospital and Faulkner Hospital while proposing cuts for frontline caregivers in Western Massachusetts.

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Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 26,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association