PITTSFIELD, Mass. – October 29, 2026 -- Nurses and healthcare professionals at Berkshire Visiting Nurse Association (BVNA) delivered a petition to management at 4 p.m. Monday, demanding a contract that retains experienced clinicians, after the bargaining unit shrank by approximately half over the past several years.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) represents the clinicians. The two sides next meet for bargaining on October 28.
Management has moved on early-career wages, but veteran pay remains open
The union acknowledges progress on wages for nurses and healthcare professionals early in their careers, a step aimed at attracting new hires. Tamaryn Clowdus, a physical therapist and Co-Chair of the MNA Bargaining Committee at BVNA, said the unit also needs reasonable cost-of-living increases for clinicians who stayed through difficult years, calling for a focus on "both recruitment and retention."
Home care capacity is tied to hospital bed availability at Berkshire Medical Center
The union links BVNA staffing to pressure on Berkshire Medical Center, which is experiencing high patient volume. Ready access to home care can help patients who are ready to leave the hospital return home with support, freeing beds for people who need acute care. Sarah Roberts, RN, MNA Co-Chair at Berkshire Medical Center, said hospital nurses back the BVNA bargaining effort.
Petition seeks productivity expectations built with clinicians
The petition also asks for productivity standards developed with clinicians and grounded in home care realities. A visit includes documenting care, coordinating services, communicating with providers and families, and traveling between patients, in addition to time in the patient's home.