Latest news with #ButlerHospital
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
RI's James Beard Award winner; Tiverton 'castle'; Devers trade: Top stories this week
Here are some of The Providence Journal's most-read stories for the week of June 15, supported by your subscriptions. Like many states, Rhode Island is struggling with a nursing shortage, with close to 1,300 openings in the first quarter of 2025, up from 980 in the fourth quarter of 2024. The reasons range from low wages compared with neighboring states, COVID burnout and a bottleneck in nursing school admissions. Nurses at Butler Hospital have been striking since mid-May, demanding better pay, increased staffing and safer working conditions, and nurses are organizing at Rhode Island Hospital. The Journal's Jonny Williams looks at what the state is doing to improve the situation. Need to catch up with the end-of-session whirlwind at the General Assembly? Here's our guide. The June 18 Providence Journal All-State Awards show recognized more than 300 first-team All-State athletes and awarded Player of the Year honors to more than 30 high school athletes, with remarks by guest speaker Clay Holstad, midfielder for Rhode Island FC. Here's our report on this marquee event event in Rhode Island high school sports. For more sports news, go to . Looking for reading material? Check out which books Rhode Island's top elected officials will be toting to the beach. It's part of our Summer Guide coverage, which also includes food editor Gail Ciampa's roundup of where to find the best adult beverages to chill out when the mercury rises. Keep reading for more Summer Guide suggestions below. Here are the week's top reads on Sky Haneul Kim, chef at Gift Horse in Providence, has been added to the prestigious list of local James Beard winners after being named Best Chef: Northeast at the 2025 James Beard Foundation Awards. The 35th Restaurant and Chef Award gala was held at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on June 16. The James Beard awards are considered the Oscars of the food world. Wins have been rare for Rhode Island restaurants, but Kim's victory makes her the third best chef winner from Rhode Island and the second in three years. In 2023, Sherry Pocknett and her Sly Fox Den Too restaurant in Charlestown took home the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Northeast. The restaurant has since closed. Al Forno's Johanne Killeen and the late George Germon won the regional best chef award in 1993. Read Journal food editor Gail Ciampa's report from Chicago, including the three other Beard finalists from Rhode Island who fell just short. Food: A Providence chef joined the ranks of James Beard Award winners. See who took the honor In April, the newly elected Narragansett Town Council proposed more than a dozen amendments to zoning regulations to make it easier to build in town, seeking to roll back changes made by the previous Town Council that made it harder to build new housing and flew in the face of state zoning laws. But the sheer number of changes rattled residents and led to an effort to recall three members of the Town Council. The recall has, for the moment, been called off after the council decided to workshop the zoning amendments, but the threat of it still looms. That leaves the town's housing war simmering, as Narragansett's population gets older, enrollment in its schools drops and its existing housing gets more expensive. How long can the town afford to fight efforts to increase its housing stock? Political Scene looks at the issue from both camps. Political Scene: A new Town Council aimed to fix Narragansett's housing problems. They could face a recall The state Supreme Court on June 16 suspended for six months and a day longtime Rhode Island lawyer 's license to practice after an investigation in Massachusetts found that he gave a client bad information about immigration consequences. DiLibero advised a client that a plea deal would not have negative immigration consequences, despite it being an aggravated felony, making the client immediately deportable and permanently inadmissible to the United States and ineligible for citizenship. DiLibero then falsely claimed to have provided correct advice and failed to cooperate with the client's new lawyer. Read the full report for more details on the case. Courts: RI lawyer has license suspended for six months for 'incompetent' advice. Here's why. Sunday, June 15, brought yet another trade that should be reserved for lesser franchises in Major League Baseball, says Journal sportswriter Bill Koch. The Red Sox aren't supposed to be shipping out club cornerstones. But that's what happened on Sunday night, with the jaw-dropping news that Rafael Devers had been traded to the San Francisco Giants, immediately dampening what should have been a statement weekend at Fenway Park with Boston's sweep of the New York Yankees. The immediate losers in all this are the fans, says Koch. And he offers his look at what the ripple effects might be for the franchise, from ownership through the active roster. : Four big takeaways from the shocking Rafael Devers trade from Boston to San Francisco TIVERTON – A lot of people think "castle" when they see Todd and Deborah Martin's house set off in the woods on Lake Road, but Todd had a different medieval inspiration in mind when they added to what was already a one-of-a-kind residence. Think Heorot, the mead hall of legendary Danish King Hrothgar that comes under attack in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem "Beowulf." What started as a 32-foot-diameter round stone house in the woods, sans kitchen, has been transformed by the Martins with the addition of two wings, bringing it up to 5,564 square feet and incorporating salvaged building materials from the 1870s through the 1920s. Check out the full story, including a gallery of the finished house, which is being showcased on the Zillow Gone Wild Instagram page. Real estate: Dreaming of living in a castle in the woods? A Tiverton house could make it come true To read the full stories, go to Find out how to subscribe here. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence James Beard Award winner; Tiverton 'castle'; Devers trade
Boston Globe
04-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
In third week of strike at R.I. psych hospital, Butler posts job ads to replace striking nurses
Related : Striking employees who have been permanently replaced will not be able to return to work once the strike ends. Instead, those employees will be placed on a 'preferential hire list,' said Marran, and would be able to return once a position becomes available. Advertisement This is Care New England's latest move to attempt to bring employees back to work amid the ongoing strike. The hospital system terminated workers' health insurance effective this month, forcing hundreds to sign up for free or low-cost health insurance through the state insurance marketplace. Get Rhode Island News Alerts Sign up to get breaking news and interesting stories from Rhode Island in your inbox each weekday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Mary Marran's claims of heartfelt concern for Butler Hospital employees are perverse in light of her decision to replace dedicated frontline staff — some of whom have served the hospital since graduating high school — with out-of-state, temporary workers,' said Jesse Martin, the executive vice president of SEIU 1199 New England, the union that represents these workers. Martin also called the moves by the hospital 'immoral' and 'illegal in light of the hospital's unfair labor practices.' The union filed claims of unfair labor practices against Butler on May 12. Advertisement Jesse Martin, the executive vice president of SEIU 1199 NE, yells into a microphone to the crowd. Lane Turner/Globe Staff If the subject of the strike is to have the employer concede some economic concession — such as higher wages, shorter hours, or better working conditions — striking workers cannot be discharged, but they can be replaced by their employer under certain circumstances, 'Stripping Butler employees of their job security and healthcare benefits is not how you build a better hospital,' said Martin. Dan Camp, who works in the behavioral call intake center, said he has been working at Butler since he was a teenager. 'There is no Butler without the dedicated staff who have devoted their lives to this institution,' said Camp. 'Mary Marran and Michael Wagner [Care New England's chief executive] need to return to the bargaining table and settle this contract fairly.' Niki Anthony, a registered nurse and member of the union's negotiating committee, said Care New England's representatives were delaying negotiations and not negotiating in good faith. She marched to Wagner's office last week to demand leaders settle a fair contract. 'Enough is enough,' said Anthony. 'It's time to get this contract done.' Dr. Michael Wagner is the president and chief executive at Care New England, the state's second largest hospital system. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff The strike, Advertisement Butler Hospital has spent millions on The union is seeking increases in pay and staffing levels, and wants concerns over a rise in workplace violence addressed. Plus, while current staff have pensions, the hospital wants new hires to have contribution plans for retirement, which are similar to 401(k)s. Both sides' positions on how to handle those issues remain far apart. Marran said in a statement that the union has not been prepared for negotiation sessions, and has focused on 'internal union matters.' When asked for further details, Marran said the union wanted more access to the hospital, including additional opportunities to meet with newly hired employees beyond the current contractually-provided time available during new hire orientation. 'The union focused on additional access to new hires, rather than core issues important to employees like wages, retirement, and insurance,' said Marran. Union leaders also claimed Butler's negotiating team did not respond to a proposed non-discrimination proposal that included protection for non-English speakers. Butler's leaders have not responded to the workers' workplace violence committee proposal either, union leaders said. Alexa Gagosz can be reached at
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Unions draw striking Butler workers, RIPTA driver in push to pass ‘tax the rich' legislation
Advocates hold signs in support of raising taxes on Rhode Island's highest earners outside the State House on May 29, 2025. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) A countdown clock ticked down in front of the State House on Thursday afternoon — 20 days. That's how many days union workers and activists estimate are left before the Rhode Island General Assembly passes its fiscal 2026 budget. 'TIME IS NOW. TIME IS NOW,' the crowd of around 150 people chanted as they called on lawmakers to pass a bill to increase income taxes on top earners in Rhode Island to raise revenue to prop up hospitals, plug a $32.6 million deficit at the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority and fund programs like Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Head Start that help the state's poorest residents. At least one RIPTA driver was among the crowd, which included over 30 striking Butler Hospital workers plus members of RI AFL-CIO, Climate Action Rhode Island, National Education Association of Rhode Island, Economic Progress Institute, Revenue for Rhode Islanders Coalition, RI Working Families Party, SEIU-1199, Indivisible RI and Reclaim RI. Companion bills introduced in February by Rep. Karen Alzate, a Pawtucket Democrat, and Sen. Melissa Murray, a Woonsocket Democrat, call for a 3% surtax on the top 1% of earners — those who make more than $625,000 a year, based on 2025, inflation-adjusted numbers. Alzate's bill received its initial hearing before the House Committee on Finance on May 6 where it was held for further study by the panel. Murray's bill was scheduled for a hearing before the Senate Committee on Finance Thursday evening. 'The wealthy have been benefiting from state and federal tax cuts for decades,' Murray told the crowd. 'But at whose expense? Ours.' The proposal would affect about 5,700 state income tax filers and generate an extra $190 million in annual revenue for the state, according to the Economic Progress Institute, which backs the legislation. 'This is not crazy — it's reasonable, it's fair, and it's long overdue,' Nina Harrison, policy director for the Economic Progress Institute, told the crowd. 'It's the end of the session — this is rally time,' AFL-CIO President Patrick Crowley said. 'This is when we make our final argument that this is about building a Rhode Island economy from the worker up and giving the state the resources they need to make sure we have functioning systems that everyday people rely on.' Crowley, who sits on RIPTA's board of directors, said if Rhode Island's wealthiest residents paid more in taxes, then the statewide bus agency could solve its financial woes. Funding could also go toward the state's health care system, he said. 'Which would allow workers like the striking Butler workers to have a living wage,' he said. Butler Hospital unionized workers represented by SEIU 1199E returned to the State House for at least the third time in their now two-week long strike, rallying for better working conditions and wages at the Providence psychiatric hospital. A negotiator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) — a federal agency that helps smooth out labor disputes — sat down Wednesday and Thursday to revive talks between the striking Butler workers and their employer, Care New England. There were no immediate updates on the status of the talks from union officials as of Thursday evening. Dawn Williams, a Butler registered nurse, union delegate, member of the bargaining committee explained in a statement Wednesday evening while the day's talks failed to find consensus. 'Unfortunately, management gave us a set of proposals with lower wages, higher healthcare costs, less on retirement and no movement on our workplace violence committee,' Williams said. 'We are more than ready to return to work and resume caring for our patients — but we should never have to choose between our safety, our livelihoods, and the profession we love.' Mary E. Marran, Butler's president and COO, issued a statement Thursday. 'While the Hospital remains committed to productive dialogue, we are concerned by the union's apparent lack of advanced preparation for Wednesday's session, and its continued focus on internal union matters such as changes to new hire orientation, rather than on issues central to our employees' core priorities—such as wages, retirement benefits, and healthcare,' Marran wrote. Marran wrote that the hospital presented a 'scaled-back economic proposal' on Wednesday because of conditions established during the last negotiating session on May 7, when it gave its 'Last, Best, and Final Offer,' with any subsequent offers shaped by 'the effects of the strike, which has affected patients, staff, the community, and the Hospital itself.' Marran added that the wages are still higher than those in previous contracts, and pointed to the hospital's negotiation website, Care New England spokesperson Raina C. Smith did not supply an exact dollar amount when asked Thursday how much the hospital has spent on temporary labor thus far. She simply replied, 'Millions.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Providence police cite three striking Butler workers, one motorist for noise violations
Butler Hospital employees demonstrate on Blackstone Avenue near the hospital entrance in Providence on the first day of the strike on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Photo by Michael Salerno/Rhode Island Current) Unionized Butler Hospital workers are likely to see their final paychecks arrive Friday if the now seven-day long strike continues. Some now have another expense to handle: A possible $500 fine for allegedly violating one of the city of Providence's noise ordinances. A Tuesday press release from the Providence City Council praised the striking workforce for 'their commitment to making their voices heard in a way that minimizes disruption for the surrounding neighborhood,' the release read, adding that organizers agreed to 'observe quiet hours before 8:00 AM and avoid the use of bullhorns or other noisemakers during that time.' Yet Providence police issued four summons — three on Monday, and one more on Tuesday — to people demonstrating outside the private psychiatric hospital on Blackstone Boulevard. Josh Estrella, spokesperson for Mayor Brett Smiley, confirmed Wednesday that each fine was for $500. 'While the City recognizes and respects Butler Hospital workers' right to peacefully and lawfully strike, we have received multiple complaints from neighbors and providers in the area concerned about the excessive levels of noise resulting from this demonstration,' Estrella said. Three of the fines were for striking workers who used megaphones without a permit, and the other summons was for a motorist who honked when passing the picket line. Estrella said in an email Wednesday night that the four people cited can pay the fine online or choose to contest the fine and get assigned a Municipal Court date. 'Warnings were given to all four individuals prior to issuing the summons and an explanation of the City's noise ordinance policies was given to the organizers of the demonstration,' Estrella said. 'Unfortunately after that engagement, summons were issued following a warning to individuals that were found in continued violation of ordinances in accordance with our standard enforcement practices.' The city's actions drew condemnation from Providence Democratic Rep. David Morales, who issued a news release and posted to Bluesky Wednesday morning that the Smiley administration had 'chosen to punish' the workers, many of whom reside in Providence. Morales has marched with workers consistently over the course of their seven-day strike. 'This isn't leadership. It's intimidation. This is a page out of the MAGA Republican playbook,' Morales wrote. The city's noise ordinance permits up to 65 decibels during the daytime and 55 decibels at night in residential zones. Areas bordering schools, churches and hospitals still need to stay under the 65 decibel limit, but violations can be issued for lower volumes considered 'unnecessary, excessive or offensive' if 'a person of reasonably sensitive hearing' at 200 feet away can hear them. The Butler campus includes the hospital, elderly housing, and a child care facility. The open-ended strike began May 15 and the union, SEIU 1199NE, and Care New England, the hospital's parent company, have yet to return to the negotiating table. The approximately 800 workers — who include mental health staff, nurses, and clerical, custodial and dietary staff — are demanding wage increases and safety reforms after their set of four contracts expired March 31. Both parties last gathered to discuss terms on May 7. Tensions have not subsided in the week since the strike began. The union announced Thursday that it plans to rally at the Rhode Island State House — for the second time in three days — with photos and testimonies about injuries they received at work. Jesse Martin, executive vice president of the striking workers' union SEIU 1199NE, said in a statement Wednesday that workers are exercising their First Amendment rights to 'shine a light on the ongoing safety crisis at their facility that impacts workers and patients alike.' 'They take care of all who need support, including those right here in this community,' Martin wrote. 'Though it may be slightly inconvenient for some, it is vastly more uncomfortable for Butler workers who are forced to sleep in their cars because of poverty wages or have to take months off of work because they were assaulted at work.' Steven Brown, executive director of the ACLU of Rhode Island, said in an email Wednesday that the citations misrepresent the municipal code. 'The police are blatantly misleading people by issuing citations that refer to $500 fines,' Brown wrote. The ordinance outlines penalties of $200 for first-time offenders or $300 for second-time offenders who plead their case, Brown said, citing section 16-106 of the municipal code. 'Somebody who contests the charges in court can be punished with up to a $500 fine. This deceptive tactic is very disturbing,' Brown wrote, bolding the phrase 'up to.' But Estrella said Wednesday night the violations and fines were derived from ordinances about noise from bullhorns and vehicle horns — separate parts of the municipal code, located at sections 16-105 and 16-93, respectively. Of the four people who received summons, one person received three tickets for bullhorn use, categorized in the city code as 'amplified sound.' There was one more amplified sound violation for a different person, and two people were ticketed under the 'excessive noise' category, Estrella said. Section 16-106 specifies the fine structure for violations within the entire set of laws on 'noise control,' as the municipal code phrases it. Neither 16-93 nor 16-105 specify the fine structure for violations. The section on bullhorns does specify that use of such equipment must be registered at least five days in advance with local police. Mary E. Marran, Butler's president and COO, wrote in a statement posted online Monday that striking workers will receive their final paychecks on Friday, May 23, with hospital-sponsored health plans set to expire on June 1. Other benefits like life insurance have already lapsed because of eligibility rules tied to active employment, Marran wrote. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Boston Globe
21-05-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
As R.I. nurses, we advocate for our patients. Now it's time Care New England supports us.
I give my patients my all because I know what it's like to depend on health care services. I have twin adult sons with autism and one has Down syndrome. I advocate every day for their needs and bring that same energy to my patients. Advertisement Butler used to be a sanctuary for those in crisis. But the hospital has changed beyond recognition, and is now the poster child for corporate care. Those in charge have no connection to the everyday struggles we face and treat us with disregard. Recently, Care New England announced they are spending over $3 million to fly in replacement workers while we are striking. These are out-of-state people who don't know our patients' needs, and I fear the number of patient assaults on workers will increase dramatically. Advertisement Workplace violence at Butler is already a crisis. Patient assaults on staff have grown This lack of concern for staff and the impact it could have on our patients breaks my heart. I think about our geriatric patients with dementia or our adolescent unit with patients as young as 12. I think about the 25 individuals waiting in Butler's IAC (emergency room) for a bed first thing in the morning. Then I think about the committed staff that gives them structure and care, the social workers who support our patients' families, and the counselors who work in the addiction unit. Every single one of us deserves a safe environment where we don't have to worry about getting injured at work. Being forced to strike affects me to the core. It almost feels like the people you rely on have turned their backs on you. I am a cancer survivor and my sons are on my health care plan to see the specialists they need. Working at Butler has provided affordable options for me and my coworkers to choose a health care plan that meets our needs, but now management is proposing to terminate our health benefits by May 31. Advertisement And as a single mom, I have to pick up two to three extra shifts every pay period to make ends meet. Yes, the price of groceries and gas keeps going up, but our wages are far too low. Sixty percent of Butler workers said recently I am 59 and I want to retire from Butler. I am grateful for my pension. Management has told us they are not going to pay into the system for new hires, which could take away their retirement security. For them to make us feel so insignificant makes me angry. At the end of the day, our strike is not solely about wages or retirement. It's about management seeing our dedication to our patients and to Butler Hospital. It's about them respecting that we put ourselves on the line every day to provide care in an unpredictable environment. And it's about them rewarding our sacrifice and hard work by supporting our needs. Butler's nearly 800 union members are ready to return to negotiations and settle a fair contract. It is now up to management to decide when they are ready to acknowledge there would be no Butler hospital without us, its dedicated frontline staff. Lori Cotter is a registered nurse who works as a float nurse at Butler Hospital. She is a member of SEIU 1199NE and has been at Butler since 2008.
