Updated June 22, 2015 05:18PM

Brien Center Union Votes to Strike on July 6

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Brien Center workers doing informational picketing in March in North Adams over contract negotiations. SEIU 509 has voted to strike on July 6.

Updated at 5:18 p.m. to include remarks from Brien Center CEO M. Christine Macbeth.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Some 350 union workers at the Brien Center have voted to go on strike on July 6 if contract negotiations fail to resolve pay and benefits issues.

Brien Center officials say they will be meeting with a federal mediator on June 30 and plan to continue operations at the mental health and substance abuse agency should the strike occur.

Service Employees International Union 509 and Brien Center management have been at loggerheads since last September. Workers held informational pickets outside the Brien Center's offices in North Adams and Pittsfield in March.

SEIU representatives say the strike could result in the closure of the nonprofit agency, affecting the health care of thousands of county residents.

At issue has been wages and health insurance costs. Local 509 is asking for a 5 percent raise; management had offered 1.5 percent, with the possibility of raising that in the next fiscal year should the agency's finances improve. Workers say the agency's determination to raise employees' share of health insurance costs by 34.5 percent effectively results in a pay cut.

In a statement, Brien Center CEO M. Christine Macbeth said the union's demands are "financially unsustainable."

"We want our employees to feel fairly treated but the union's numbers don't add up," she wrote. "It would be financially irresponsible of this agency to agree to the union's demands given our financial realities."

The Brien Center has roots dating back nearly a century. It provides substance abuse and mental health programs for some 10,000 residents annually, including 4,000 at-risk children, and day care for disabled adults and the elderly. It employs about 450 people in all.

Clinicians and direct-care staff say many of them hold bachelor's and master's degrees but wages average about $13 an hour (management says this is closer to $16.). This causes high turnover at the agency, affecting its ability to provide quality health care, employees say.



"When I started at Brien, one of my first clients asked how long I planned to stay. He had worked with a new nurse every month up to that point," said Jessica Kemp, a registered nurse in Brien's substance-abuse treatment program, in a statement provided by SEIU. "We voted to strike because the clients we serve deserve better. This work is just too important to devote anything less than consistent, high-quality care provided by experienced and passionate staff."

In March, Macbeth said raising wages to 5 percent would cost the agency more $3 million over three years, significantly affecting its ability to provide sustainable services. The center had offered a one-year contract at 1.5 percent with a productivity incentive plan for certain employees because it felt it would be in a better financial position in the fall.

Local 509 states that "barring a significant course correction," it will go on strike beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, July 6.

"We hope that this action will not be necessary and that we will be able to resolve all outstanding issues before that date," writes Rick Page, field representative for SEIU Local 509, in the letter informing the Brien Center and state and federal labor officials of the decision to strike.

"We hope to avoid a strike on July 6 so we are meeting with a federal mediator on June 30," Macbeth wrote. "However, our utmost priority is keeping people safe and supporting their treatment and recovery."

She said, in the event of a strike, the center "will remain open and operate as normally as possible to provide the critical services to the thousands of people in our community who count on us."

Brien Center Strike Notice 61815 by iBerkshires.com


Tags: Brien Center,   strike,   union negotiations,   

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MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

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