Butler Hospital workers ratify new contract, ending strike

['Lynn Arditi', 'More Lynn Arditi', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar'] TPR: The Public's Radio 2025-08-19 15:08:26

The three-month strike at Butler Hospital that forced the closure of roughly half of the psychiatric hospital’s beds ended as workers voted “overwhelmingly” on Monday to ratify a new contract. Butler Hospital and the Service Employees International Union 1199 New England announced the settlement Monday night in a joint statement. The SEIU 1199NE represents roughly 700 Butler Hospital workers – nurses, mental health workers, dietary and maintenance staff – and another 100 unfilled positions. The union said the contract also “maintained benefits and controlled costs” for workers’ Health Savings Account (HSA) health care plans. As of Tuesday, Butler Hospital was advertising 374 job openings on its careers website.