Berkshire Medical Center, Nurses Set New Bargaining Date

Negotiators for Berkshire Medical Center and its registered nurses worked through the day Friday on a new contract but didn't reach an agreement.

The Berkshire Eagle reports the two sides agreed to meet again June 4.

Joe Markman, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Nurses Association, said Friday evening that the top priority for the RNs remains "safe patient care."Michael Leary, the hospital spokesman, described Friday's session as "cordial."

The two sides have been pursuing a new pact for about 800 unionized registered nurses since the previous contract lapsed in September 2016.

In late February, the hospital offered its first-ever contract language with assurances about staffing levels, but as of Friday, it had not proved to be enough to secure a tentative agreement.

A BMC spokesman said this week that the hospital has been expecting negotiators for the MNA to say whether they accept the latest terms. Nurses continue to work under the old agreement, as federal law requires.