Healthcare at Risk: Butlers inability to negotiate

Cover photo: Molly Torres on the picket line

For over a month, more than 800 Butler Hospital employees have been without a contract since March of 2025 and have been striking since May 15. With the help of SEIU 1199, they are striking for better wages, safer working conditions, and better benefits. Despite what Butler has promoted on social media, they have stripped these workers of their benefits, posted their positions online, and barely offered $18 an hour. For reference, Mary Marron, Butler Hospital’s president, allegedly makes close $1mil a year. Assuming a 40-hour work week, the average employee would make $37,440 a year.Yet, they maintain their resolve, neither giving up or giving in. Even after losing their benefits and jobs their spirit remains, and they have remained consistently on the picket line since May 15. 

Options had a chance to visit the picket line and speak to several striking employees. Many expressed their willingness to return as soon as their demands are met. They spoke on shared support during the strike, including ensuring everyone is fed. There is a designated area for strikers to receive meals at all times during striking hours. Music played in the background as some sat in the shade, served food, or held their picket signs high. Molly Torres, one of the striking employees, gave Options a quick tour in between her other duties, showing firsthand how these employees and community members have been supporting and taking care of each other. This included events like karaoke night and drag shows, activities that help keep their spirits high despite losing so much. 

Many community members have also been dropping off cash and checks. According to Torres, these donations are going straight to the food and supply committees to support the needs of workers. Even donations of pet food and supplies have helped those unable to purchase it. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided to those who are there all day, every day- including cultural foods from the community. 

While working in healthcare requires some amount of sacrifice, the burden placed on Butler Hospital employee’s has become unmanageable. Torres confides that it becomes tiring to show up for someone when you are not at 100% percent yourself. Lameiro mentions loving the work she does and being eager to return to her patients; but also she describes running on four hours of sleep because of the workload, a dangerous situation that puts patients and herself at risk. Ironic given the time she spends teaching her patients the importance of self-care. This is equally true of Lameiro’s partner, another employee at Butler. 

According to WPRI 12, Butler has accused SEIU 1199 and the strike of putting the state’s entire health system at risk, blaming the strike for their decision to close 40 beds and a number of units. SEIU believes this is an attempt to offer the bare minimum required to return the striking employees to work. Not only that, but they allegedly attempted to block access to unemployment benefits (SEIU).

As a result of low wages and staffing shortages, Butler’s employees are often stuck working 16-hour days. Lameiro finds herself in this position often in order to pay her bills, while Torres has had to pick up numerous shifts for both financial and staffing reasons. 

Butler has not only put their patients at risk, but also their employees who rely on their health coverage in order to lead healthy lives. Striking employees lost their healthcare June 1, 2025. While some managed to apply for Medicaid through the state others face an uphill struggle: “Well, for me, I have a serious health condition that I have to get constant lab work done every few months for a kidney disease on top of prescriptions to help maintain my condition. Losing the health insurance put a major bump in the road for me on top of another health condition that I found out about right before the strike, that I’ve had to figure out coverage for my weekly appointments.”

Workplace violence is another major concern for hospital employees, with injuries increasing yearly. Dawn Williams, a nurse at Butler, did her own research and found 168 reported injuries in 2021. From January 2025 to the beginning of the strike in May, employees reported 125 injuries. And Williams is not the only employee concerned. Vanessa Lameiro, Molly Torres, and a third anonymous employee all voiced concerns about the rise in injuries and workplace violence. Many believe staffing is to blame. Due to its low wages and the increase of staff injuries, Butler maintains a high turnover rate. The inability to retain highly trained employees is indicated as a potential a cause for the increase in injuries as it lowers staff-to-patient ratios and makes promptly responding to incidents difficult. This is especially true in specialties like mental health where being short-staffed is incredibly dangerous. Effects of high turnover and short staffing also trickles down to the patients, negatively impacting patient outcomes.

“It’s all about the dollar sign, and Butler made it clear that we are replaceable. That never feels good for any employee who takes pride in their work. Working in mental health is NOT for everyone, but this place has had many staff members who’ve been here for decades, and that speaks volumes to how they value their profession and enjoy what they do. So to be seen as replaceable now just makes you think…is it worth it?”

While working in healthcare requires some amount of sacrifice, the burden placed on Butler Hospital employee’s has become unmanageable. Torres confides that it becomes tiring to show up for someone when you are not at 100% percent yourself. Lameiro mentions loving the work she does and being eager to return to her patients; but also she describes running on four hours of sleep because of the workload, a dangerous situation that puts patients and herself at risk. Ironic given the time she spends teaching her patients the importance of self-care. This is equally true of Lameiro’s partner, another employee at Butler. 

According to WPRI 12, Butler has accused SEIU 1199 and the strike of putting the state’s entire health system at risk, blaming the strike for their decision to close 40 beds and a number of units. SEIU believes this is an attempt to offer the bare minimum required to return the striking employees to work. Not only that, but they allegedly attempted to block access to unemployment benefits (SEIU).

As a result of low wages and staffing shortages, Butler’s employees are often stuck working 16-hour days. Lameiro finds herself in this position often in order to pay her bills, while Torres has had to pick up numerous shifts for both financial and staffing reasons. 

A Butler employee who would like to remain anonymous states that the hospital’s constant hiring of new and temporary staff, rather than negotiating in good faith, is attempting to prove a point at the cost of quality of care. Patients that built relationships with their staff are now losing that connection. At the same time, staff have become burnt out due to the lack of proper training, increased workplace violence, and excessively long shifts.

 “16-hour days are long, but are necessary to earn a decent paycheck. Working doubles are so common between the workers at Butler. Most even work back-to-back doubles for days just to get ahead on bills.”

Marron insists she wants employees back but refused to come to the bargaining table and negotiate a way to meet their needs, despite the web she is weaving all over social media.  As quoted in Warwick Online, “Marran’s relationship with Butler began as an occupational therapy intern 40 years ago. She knows the staff.  She thinks of them as family.” However, this greatly contradicts statements from picket line employees who have yet to see Marran at negotiations. Instead, lawyers and HR representatives are present, but according to Williams, they are silent. 

Many state legislators have been at the picket line as well, and have signed a letter in support of the union and their efforts. Options got the chance to chat with State Senator Tiara Mack, who is in solidarity with the union and Butler’s workers. Mack has reportedly been to the picket line four times, as of this writing, and has talked to workers since the first day. Mack has consistently advocated for better healthcare and living wages, and strongly believes legislators should take a stance. 

“We have been flooded with so much love and support from our community, it has been so overwhelming. I’ve also had days I’ve been so so low. I just lay in bed all day, wishing the day for this to be resolved. Sometimes it feels like this strike is never ending, and I get flooded with so much negativity. Those days, I try my best to take care, rest, and take a break from it all.”

What changes do Butler employees hope to see as a result of this strike?

“Honestly? People higher up need adjusting to their character and morals. People have gotten brain injuries and eyes poked out, shouldn’t that be a red flag waving? This strike should be an eye-opener for many in this state who work in healthcare and understand your value to an employer. I hope wages can be adjusted to help with living wages for some in this state. I hope that the safety concerns can be addressed and some kind of policy can be enacted where maybe more security is hired along with more staff to help with support calls and admissions, specifically speaking on overnight shifts.”

“Hopefully, we can come to an agreement and build a contract that everyone can be proud of. I can’t afford to continue to strike, but I also can’t afford to work under these conditions. I want to be back to work with the people I love and care for our patients, whom I miss and need us.”

The employees have made their needs clear, but Butler’s management is not negotiating in good faith. 

Mary Marron and Butler hospital management: it’s time to put pride aside and begin listening to your employees and give them what they need immediately. The demands have been made: better wages, safer working conditions, and better benefits. There is simply no other way to provide your patients the continuous care they rightfully deserve. Butler has the money and the resources to take care of everyone, and their refusal to share is disheartening. Options stands with the workers at the picket line and demands that Butler stand down. Your employees want to return and take care of their patients, but they first need the resources to take care of themselves.