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Bay State Democrats will be faced with a political conundrum when they weigh in on an impending nurses strike at Tufts Medical Center that is bringing together two issues close to their hearts: supporting working families impacted by soaring health care costs and fighting for union labor, analysts say.

When costs for hospitals go up, the cost for health care goes up. While the politicians supporting the unions because the unions turn around and support them is good politically, its clearly a contradiction, Boston-based Republican strategist Brad Marston said. Theyre doing it while they dont have a full year budget because MassHealth is taking up 50 percent of our budget it sounds to me like they are trying to have it both ways.

In a statement yesterday, Tufts nurses announced theyve told the hospital they will go on strike July 12 after a monthslong negotiation over a new contract stalled last month. In a statement, Mary Havlicek Cornacchia, an OR nurse and bargaining unit co-chairwoman for the Massachusetts Nurses Association, said, weve been trying to get them to listen to us and theyre just not listening.

Cornacchia said the union expects to return to the bargaining table Friday.

The association, which represents about 1,200 registered nurses at the Hub hospital, has been pushing for increased staffing and pay raises and voted last month to reject a $30 million package that wouldve given 60percent of nurses a 10.5percent raise through 2020. The hospital has said it cant afford to increase pay beyond what it called its best and final offer.

In a letter to Tufts President and CEO Michael Wagner signed by more than a dozen Democratic Bay State representatives and state senators, the legislators stressed that the hospital must not allow the significant hardships to patients, families and residents in Boston that a strike by its 1,200 nurses would cause.

We have met with Tufts nurses about what they are seeking and we believe their concerns are valid and their proposals are reasonable, they wrote.

In another letter sent to Wagner in May that was signed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Reps. Michael E. Capuano and Stephen F. Lynch, the trio of Democrats urged both sides to remain at the table, bargaining in good faith, to find ways to resolve the issues that continue to divide you.

Former Bay State Democratic Party Chairman Phil Johnston said he expects the majority of local Democrats would join them in standing with the nurses, despite the partys push to reign in out-of-control health care costs.

Thats just who we are ... the Democratic Party has been pro-labor since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, he said. Theres constant tension within the industry as a result of whats perceived to be inequities in pay and this has a big impact on working families. The Democrats generally support working families.

Though the union is only planning to strike for 24 hours, Wagner said the hospital has recruited more than 300 replacement nurses to work for five days.

Leaving patients to join a picket line is not what is best for patients or for reaching common ground, he wrote in a letter to employees. The contract the hospital has offered the nurses is a strong a competitive proposal, and the best the medical Center can offer given our limited resources.

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Tufts nurses strike puts Democrats in political pickle - Boston Herald