UMass nurses vote to authorize a strike

Registered nurses at UMass Memorial Medical Center's University Campus in Worcester voted overwhelmingly last night to authorize their union leadership to call a strike if necessary in their ongoing negotiations with hospital management. The union said that 762 nurses cast ballots, with the nurses voting 716 to 46 in favor of the strike authorization.

The union has said its members are angry over the hospital's demands for concessions on pensions, health benefits, wages, paid days off, and layoff language. Negotiations began in January, and little progress has been made, though the contract expired in April.