Nurses at Northwestern Medical Center formed a union almost 11 months ago to preserve high quality patient care, ensure nurse and patient safety, and establish a competitive wage scale that will recruit and retain qualified staff. We, as community members, share their goals. We value our small community hospital, and we know that RNs are the backbone of the exceptional care we’ve come to expect at NMC. We understand the strain that hospitals are facing across Vermont, which is why we’re disappointed in management’s decisions to prioritize travel nurses contracts over a first contract for local nurses. Investing in quality RNs is a fiscally responsible decision. We hope management will recognize this reality, and present proposals which recognize the essential nature of: