Brigham and Women’s Lockout: I Stand with Nurses
Walking with striking healthcare professionals today!
Nurses save lives! Every single day, they bring skill, compassion, and extraordinary dedication to caring for others. Our healthcare system could not function without them.
That's why I stood with more than 4,500 nurses from Brigham and Women's Hospital today as they fought for the rights they deserve. Many of these nurses live right here in NH-01.
They're asking for wages that keep up with the rising cost of living, health insurance they can actually afford to use, and safe working conditions that allow them to provide the best possible care for patients.
After the nurses organized a planned 24 hour strike, the hospital brought in five day replacement contract employees, locking many of these nurses out of work until Monday, extending the disruption. Many, including New Hampshire residents, receive their cancer and stem cell treatments at this hospital. Decisions like locking these nurses out create uncertainty for patients and families who are already carrying an enormous burden.
As a union organizer, I've been on strike before. I know that no one takes going on strike lightly. It is one of the hardest decisions a worker can make. Nurses don't want to leave their patients. Today, I had many conversations, in which nurses expressed missing their patients, and concerns over how their care could be managed with so much less staff.
Today was another reminder of why I believe so deeply in universal healthcare. No nurse should have to fight just to access affordable healthcare. No healthcare worker should have to choose between caring for others and being able to care for themselves.
It was an honor to walk the picket line with nurses from New Hampshire and Massachusetts today. My own union, HGSU-UAW 5118, had to strike twice before we won our contract, so I know how difficult this decision is.
Everyone deserves a union. Every worker deserves a fair wage, quality healthcare, and safe working conditions. And every patient deserves a healthcare system that values the people who make it possible.
I will always stand with nurses, unions, and the belief that healthcare is a human right.
