The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) said nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston plan an open-ended strike Nov. 12 after rejecting Mass General Brigham’s final contract offer.
The union said its bargaining committee issued the strike notice Nov. 1. The walkout is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. EST (12:00 UTC), and the MNA says the committee represents more than 4,000 nurses.
Nurses voted Oct. 22 and 23 to reject the offer, the union said. The MNA had withdrawn an earlier strike notice so members could consider the contract proposal before voting. The union did not disclose a tally for the vote.
The MNA is seeking limits on temporary nurses, a float differential and a choice of insurance. It also wants a wage scale it considers competitive for new and experienced nurses. The union says these requests would support patient care. Kelly Morgan, chair of the Brigham MNA Bargaining Committee, said, “We are ready to strike but are equally prepared to negotiate a fair contract that protects patient care, respects nurses, and averts the strike.”
Brigham and Women’s said Oct. 10 its proposal would add a new 2.5% top step to all pay scales upon ratification, followed by another 2.5% step effective Sept. 30, 2027. The proposed contract would run through Sept. 30, 2028, the hospital said.
Chief Nursing Officer Julia Mason told staff the hospital had worked to bring the two sides closer during negotiations. Her message came before the latest strike notice.
The dispute follows a one-day strike by Brigham nurses July 8 and a four-day hospital lockout, according to the MNA. The union said those actions were part of the same contract fight.
The MNA says a negotiated agreement could still avert the strike. Talks with Mass General Brigham are due to resume Nov. 9, three days before the planned walkout, the union said.
