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 support. 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.