Nurses rally with 1-day strike looming

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Baystate Health Systems and nurses at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield are scheduled to be back at the negotiating table Wednesday night.

More than one hundred nurses were picketing Wednesday afternoon. 

Nurses from around the state were picketing outside Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. 

Nurses at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield will go on strike, for one day, on Friday if a new deal is not reached.

Both sides told 22News they hope to settle the contract Wednesday night, but both sides are prepared for a one-day strike.

'"We have a full contingent of competent nurses that will be with us, in fact we have a little more staff than we normally do and we'll be open for business", says Chuck Gijanto, President of Baystate Regional Markets.

"A one day strike shows that we are united as nurses for our patients.  We're advocating for them as we do every day.  One day is going to be the least amount of disruption for our community", says Linda Judd, a nurse at Baystate Franklin Medical Center for 27 years.

Health insurance, money and weekly schedules are some of the sticking points in this negotiation that has been going on for almost one year.

President Gijanto told 22News these proposed changes will save between $1.8 and $2 million a year and will prevent the hospital from having to lay off some employees.