More than 200 nurses are back on the job at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, Massachusetts, after a one-day strike, and a two-day lockout by management.
The nurses' union has been without a contract for six months; the main sticking points are over staffing levels and changes to benefits.
Nurse Suzanne Love, a member of the negotiating team, said while the strike did not lead to an agreement, it showed the nurses have community . She said they may consider another strike in the future.
"The committee just doesn't make these decisions unilaterally," Love said. "It's a democratic union. The committee goes to the nursing body at large and talks to those people and gets their permission to go forward."
A statement from Baystate Franklin said patients in the hospital received safe, high-quality care from temporary staff during the labor action. No new talks are currently scheduled.