Mercy Medical Center Nurses Vote to Ratify New MNA Contract That Strengthens Patient Care Conditions and Preserves Hard-Fought RN Benefits

Mercy nurses stood united through months of negotiations to protect patient care, preserve vital benefits, and ensure a stronger future for their hospital and community

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., July 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Registered nurses at Mercy Medical Center, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday, July 1 to ratify a new three-year contract with hospital owner Trinity Health that improves conditions for patients and nurses while preserving hard-earned benefits and delivering competitive wage increases that will aid with RN recruitment and retention.

The new agreement comes after nearly 10 months of negotiations and 25 bargaining sessions during which Mercy nurses stood united against a series of takeaway proposals from Trinity, including an attempt to eliminate the hospital's longstanding 3% core retirement contribution and proposals that threatened nurses' union rights. Nurses pushed back and ultimately secured a contract that affirms their collective voice and invests in the hospital's future.

"This contract is a victory for every nurse who stood firm for safe staffing, fair wages, and the respect we deserve," said Jaime Hyatt, RN, Co-Chair of the MNA Bargaining Committee. "We protected our retirement, strengthened our wage scale, and stopped harmful proposals in their tracks. Most importantly, we secured the resources we need to care for our patients with the skill and dedication they expect from us."

Agreement Highlights

The MNA represents 385 registered nurses at Mercy Medical Center. The new agreement takes effect immediately and will run through 2028.

• Significant wage increases across the board, including a 5% raise in the first year, followed by 3.25% increases in years two and three.
• A redesigned wage scale that shortens the time to top step from 35 years to 21 years, while increasing the number of wage steps from 15 to 18.
• Top of scale pay will rise from $61.12 to $71.49 by the end of the agreement.
• Longevity bonuses of $2,000 for nurses with 30 years of service and $3,000 for those with 35 years.
• Enhanced differentials, including increases in on-call and overnight pay to $10/hour.

"This agreement sends a clear message about the importance of Trinity Health investing in Mercy nurses and the future of our hospital," said Dee Doyle, RN, Co-Chair of the MNA Bargaining Committee. "Trinity tried to push us backward, but together we moved forward – for our profession, our patients, and our community."

Mercy nurses faced down not only cuts to retirement, but also dangerous staffing conditions. During bargaining, nurses highlighted a staggering 6,000 missed meal breaks in just 10 months due to short staffing, and violations of ICU staffing laws that placed patients at risk. Nurses also called attention to the erosion of maternity care and emergency services linked to corporate cost-cutting.

"This contract is about safety, dignity, and the power of nurses to defend quality care in our communities," RN Jaime Hyatt said.

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Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 25,000 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.

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SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association