Sen. Tipping, members of the Labor Committee raise concerns about the firing of registered nurses at Central Maine Medical Center
Members of the Labor Committee, led by Senate Chair Sen. Mike Tipping, sent a letter to the CEOs of Central Maine Healthcare and Prime Healthcare.
AUGUSTA — On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Sen. Mike Tipping, D-Orono, and several members of the Legislature’s Labor Committee sent a letter to the CEOs of Central Maine Healthcare and Prime Healthcare, raising concerns about the firing of 20 registered nurses at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC). The following members added their names to the letter: Rep. Amy Roeder, D-Bangor; Sen. Joe Rafferty, D-Kennebunk; Rep. Anne-Marie Mastraccio, D-Sanford; Rep. Matthew Beck, D-South Portland; Rep. Valli Geiger, D-Rockland; and Rep. Rafael Macias, D-Topsham.
In the letter, Sen. Tipping and his colleagues wrote, “The timing and scale of this discipline, which has removed 20 experienced nurses from a hospital that serves thousands of Mainers, raise grave questions about whether nurses are being punished for exercising rights protected under the National Labor Relations Act.”
They continued, “Our concern is not only for these nurses and their families but also for their patients and the people of Maine. Every nurse removed from the floor means heavier workloads for those who remain in a hospital where staff have already raised concerns about staffing and care.”
Sen. Tipping and the Labor Committee urged CMMC and Prime Healthcare to take the following actions:
- Reinstate all suspended and terminated nurses with back pay;
- Allow nurses to vote free from interference, intimidation or retaliation; and
- Respect the outcome of the election and bargain in good faith if nurses choose a union.
During a discussion of the letter, Rep. Valli Geiger, D-Rockland, who has been a nurse for most of her adult life, commented, “There is no way 20 nurses suddenly violated work standards and quality of care. But, speaking as someone who has worked all my life at a hospital, I have real concerns for what it means to patient care to be suddenly short 20 nurses at this time. We have already seen numerous waves of cutting all possible nurse positions down to the bare bones anyway, which is one of the reasons I was such a strong advocate for nurse staffing.”
She continued, “And if this is the beginning of a for-profit wave that is going to hit Maine hospitals, then I think the Department of Labor and the Labor Committee are going to need to take a strong stance to protect the quality of care.”
Sen. Mike Tipping is serving his second term in the Maine Senate. He is the Senate chair of the Legislature’s Labor Committee. He also serves as a member of the Taxation Committee and a member of the Government Oversight Committee. Sen. Tipping represents 26 communities in central and northern Penobscot County.
###