Brigham Nurses Strike
Thousands of Brigham and Women's Hospital Nurses Plan Open-Ended Strike Over Contract Dispute
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Key Points
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The union is classifying the planned walkout as an unfair labor practice strike, citing multiple federal labor complaints it has filed against the hospital since July.
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Nurses authorized the strike by a vote of 2,986 to 215, according to the union.
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The union cited Mass General Brigham’s fiscal 2025 results—$22.8 billion in operating revenue, $2.39 billion in profits and $35.8 billion in total assets—as evidence the system can meet nurses’ demands.
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The July walkout was followed by a four-day lockout; the hospital said temporary replacement nurses had been contracted for five days of work. A prior Massachusetts nurses’ strike at St. Vincent Hospital lasted 301 days in 2001.
About 4,000 nurses at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital plan to begin an open-ended strike at 7 a.m. on October 14 unless they reach a contract agreement with Mass General Brigham. CBS News reports the union is calling it the largest open-ended nurse strike in Massachusetts history. The walkout would affect one of the nation's most prestigious teaching hospitals.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association says key disputes center on wages that keep pace with inflation, affordable health insurance, limits on temporary staffing, and protections for nurses who float between units. Becker's Hospital Review notes the union accuses the hospital of demanding a multiyear pay freeze. The hospital says nurses are already highly paid and insists remaining disputes are purely economic.
A Landslide Vote and Unfair Labor Complaints
Nurses authorized the strike by voting 2,986 to 215, according to the union. Bloomberg Law reports the union is classifying the walkout as an unfair labor practice strike. The nurses have filed multiple federal labor complaints against the hospital since a one-day walkout in July.
The July walkout was followed by a four-day lockout in which the hospital deployed temporary replacement nurses. WGBH reports Mass General Brigham had contracted temporary nurses for five days of work. This escalating pattern of labor actions mirrors a prior 301-day nurses' strike at St. Vincent Hospital in Massachusetts in 2001.
The Hospital's Financial Position and Nurse Pay
The union points to Mass General Brigham's fiscal 2025 results as proof the system can meet nurses' demands. The hospital reported $22.8 billion in operating revenue, $2.39 billion in profits, and $35.8 billion in total assets. Becker's Hospital Review notes the union argues these numbers show the institution has sufficient resources for wage increases.
Hospital Prepares Contingency Plans for Walkout
Mass General Brigham says it remains willing to negotiate but is prepared to maintain patient care during a strike. CBS News reports the hospital maintains that its nurses are already highly compensated compared to industry standards. The hospital has not disclosed detailed plans for staffing the hospital during an open-ended walkout.
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