BOSTON–More than 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital are preparing to begin an open-ended strike on November 12 after rejecting a final contract offer from Mass General Brigham, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA).
The union, which represents the hospital’s nurses, issued a formal 10-day strike notice on November 1, setting the walkout to begin at 7 a.m. on November 12 unless the two sides reach a contract agreement.
If the strike proceeds, the MNA says it would be the largest open-ended nurses’ strike in Massachusetts history.
The announcement follows an October 23 vote in which nurses rejected what Mass General Brigham described as its “last, best, and final” contract offer.
Union representatives and hospital management are scheduled to resume negotiations on November 9, three days before the planned walkout.
The nurses are seeking changes to staffing practices, compensation, health insurance options and workplace policies that they say affect patient care and the hospital’s ability to recruit and retain experienced nursing professionals.
“We are ready to strike but are equally prepared to negotiate a fair contract that protects patient care, respects nurses, and averts the strike,” said Kelly Morgan, RN, a labor and delivery nurse and Chair of the BWH MNA Bargaining Committee. “Brigham nurses are resolved to fight for as long as it takes for patient safety and the professional respect we deserve.”
Among the union’s demands are limits on the use of temporary nurses, which it argues are necessary to maintain continuity of patient care and reduce reliance on staffing arrangements that can disrupt established clinical teams.
The nurses are also seeking additional compensation when they are reassigned between patient care units, a practice commonly known as floating.
According to the union, frequent reassignment can disrupt continuity of care and place additional demands on nurses working outside their regular assignments.
The MNA is also advocating for greater health insurance choices and a wage structure that it says would make Brigham and Women’s Hospital more competitive in attracting and retaining both new and experienced nurses.
The union said its members reviewed the hospital system’s final proposal and participated in membership meetings before voting to reject the agreement last month.
The nurses have also received support from community members, labor organizations, patients and elected officials during the contract dispute, according to the MNA.
“MGB can and should reach an agreement that benefits the communities it serves and protects the patient care Brigham nurses provide every day,” said Jim McCarthy, RN, a post-anesthesia care unit nurse and Vice Chair of the BWH MNA Bargaining Committee. “Brigham nurses are committed to holding MGB accountable. We question why this non-profit healthcare organization would pour millions into another strike instead of investing in patient care.”
Beyond contract negotiations, the union has raised broader concerns about Mass General Brigham’s finances, expansion activities and governance practices.
The MNA has questioned whether the nonprofit healthcare system is allocating sufficient resources toward nursing staff and patient care while investing heavily in facilities and other expansion projects.
The union has also called for greater scrutiny of Mass General Brigham’s market influence, executive compensation and potential conflicts of interest involving members of its Board of Directors.
According to the MNA, a national law firm retained by the union submitted a letter to the Massachusetts Attorney General in October requesting an investigation into whether certain governance practices and executive compensation arrangements are consistent with the hospital system’s obligations as a nonprofit organization.
“MNA requests an assessment of whether the identified conduct is consistent with MGB’s obligations as a public charity and whether corrective action is necessary,” the letter states. “The seriousness of the potential consequences makes a documented investigation particularly important before conclusions about charitable or tax-exempt status are reached.”
The union also cited reports that Mass General Brigham has generated more than $2.3 billion in profits while continuing to invest in real estate and infrastructure projects.
Among the projects highlighted by the MNA are a 100,000-square-foot lease signed in Somerville in October to consolidate pathology services and an expansion project at Massachusetts General Hospital valued at approximately $2 billion.
The union argues that the hospital system should direct more resources toward nursing compensation, staffing and patient care.
Those financial and governance criticisms are allegations and positions advanced by the union and do not establish wrongdoing by Mass General Brigham.
The MNA’s announcement did not include a response from Mass General Brigham to the latest strike notice or the union’s allegations.
The planned strike would represent a significant escalation in the labor dispute at one of Boston’s major teaching hospitals.
With negotiations scheduled to resume November 9, both sides have a final opportunity to reach an agreement before the November 12 strike deadline.
The union has indicated that the walkout would continue indefinitely if an agreement is not reached, although nurses say they remain willing to negotiate a contract that addresses their concerns about patient safety, staffing and compensation.
