Care New England hospital workers reach tentative agreement after 3-month strike

Members of SEIU 1199NE have reached a tentative labor contract with Care New England’s Butler Hospital in Providence, R.I.

Both parties confirmed the agreement in a brief joint statement shared with Becker’s.

“On behalf of both Butler Hospital and members of the bargaining committee representing all job classifications of the hospital, we are pleased to share that a tentative agreement has been reached,” Butler Hospital President and COO Mary Marran and Jesse Martin, executive vice president of SEIU 1199NE, said in the statement. “More details will be forthcoming in the coming days.”

The news comes more than three months after hundreds of staff members at the hospital, including registered nurses, mental health workers, clerical, environmental service and dietary staff, began an open-ended strike May 15. The union and management began negotiating a new labor contract in March and have been bargaining over issues such as pay and workplace safety. 

Since the strike began, the hospital has closed three units, pointing to the strike when announcing the closures.

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