Greenfield City Council Unanimously Approves Resolution Supporting Baystate Franklin Nurses Fighting for a Fair Contract and Safe Patient Care

Resolution signals growing community support as nurses have voted to authorize a potential strike to ensure safe, local care

GREENFIELD, Mass., April 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In a unanimous vote on April 15, the Greenfield City Council approved a resolution supporting registered nurses at Baystate Franklin Medical Center (BFMC), represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), as nurses fight for a fair union contract that protects patient safety and preserves access to high-quality local care.

The council resolution (read on page 34 of this document) calls on Baystate Health to negotiate in good faith and highlights the importance of safe nurse staffing levels, competitive wages to recruit and retain experienced nurses, and ensuring patients in Franklin County can continue to receive care close to home.

The Council's vote came one day after BFMC nurses voted overwhelmingly to authorize a limited duration strike, increasing pressure on Baystate to reach a fair agreement. The strike authorization does not mean a strike will automatically occur, but it gives the nurses' elected bargaining committee the authority to schedule one if necessary.

"We are grateful to the Greenfield City Council for standing with nurses and recognizing what is at stake for our patients and our community," said Suzanne Love, BFMC RN and Co-Chair of the MNA Bargaining Committee. "This resolution sends a clear message to Baystate that our community expects them to invest in safe patient care and the nurses who make that care possible."

"The City Council's vote signals wide community support for Baystate Franklin nurses and our patients," said Marissa Potter, BFMC RN and Co-Chair of the MNA Bargaining Committee. "We are eager to work with Baystate to reach a fair agreement that acknowledges how essential nurses are to patient care, our community hospital, and our local economy."

Nurses Highlight MNA Contract's Broader Impact

Beyond the immediate impact on patient care, nurses emphasized that a fair union contract is also critical to the economic health of the entire Greenfield and Franklin County community. As the second largest employer in Greenfield and the sixth-largest in Franklin County, BFMC plays a major role in the local economy, with nurse wage levels and working conditions impacting the area broadly.

At the same time, nurses care for an increasingly vulnerable patient population. Most BFMC patients rely on Medicare or Medicaid, reflecting a community with significant numbers of elderly and low-income residents. Franklin County is also facing rising unemployment and a sharp increase in mental health hospitalizations, placing additional strain on the local healthcare system.

Despite these realities, Baystate insists on offering wages that lag other unionized hospitals in the region and statewide averages, undermining efforts to recruit and retain experienced nurses. This approach not only threatens safe patient care but also disrespects the community by driving down wages in one of its most important sectors.

Update on ULP and Staffing Proposal

The ULP charge by BFMC nurses focused on Baystate's previous proposal to use a non-union float pool – bringing in Baystate system nurses from outside BFMC – and tying that proposal to existing contractual nurse-patient limits. On April 15, following the 98.2% strike authorization vote by the nurses, the two sides made progress at the bargaining table about that issue, though a full contract agreement still needs to be reached.

Core Issues in Negotiations

BFMC nurses are calling for a contract that ensures:

• Safe, high-quality patient care.
• The preservation of hard-fought nurse-patient staffing limits.
• Competitive wages to recruit and retain experienced nurses.
• Protections for nurses who are sick or injured.
• Local, community-based care in Franklin County.

Why Local Union Nurses Matter

At rural community hospitals like Baystate Franklin Medical Center, safe patient care depends on a permanent nursing workforce that knows the community and can manage a wide range of needs without extensive specialty support. While larger urban hospitals have IV teams, wound care nurses, NICUs, and round the clock pharmacies, in rural hospitals well-trained nurses pivot between all these roles and others, several times each shift.

The award-winning Baystate Franklin nurses have experience stepping into these types of roles every day. That versatility is critical in more rural settings. BFMC nurses are calling on Baystate to invest in their permanent union workforce to preserve access to safe, community-based patient care.

Community Support Growing

Nurses are urging community members to support their efforts by signing a public petition calling on Baystate Health to agree to a fair contract that protects patients and preserves local access to care: www.massnurses.org/FranklinCommunity.

The petition had more than 475 signatures as of April 16.

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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