Brigham Nurses Set November 12 Indefinite Strike
The Massachusetts Nurses Association bargaining committee issued a 10-day strike notice on November 1, setting a 7 a.m. start on November 12 if the sides do not reach an agreement. The nurses’ planned walkout follows months of contract negotiations and a rejection of Mass General Brigham’s latest offer on October 23.
The proposal lacked general wage raises for all nurses, a central union demand. The hospital proposed two 2.5 percent increases for nurses at the highest pay step, while the union had sought raises of 3 percent for the first six months of a contract and 4 percent for the following year. Nurses have also raised concerns about health insurance and limits on temporary staffing.
Mass General Brigham says the unresolved issues concern compensation and benefits, and that no patient or workplace safety proposals remain open. It says its offer provides market-leading pay and benefits while taking the hospital’s financial stability and responsibilities to patients and staff into account. The hospital has said new graduates earn nearly $87,000 a year, with annual 5 percent step increases for up to 20 years; about 30 percent of nurses earn at least $220,000.
The two sides are due to meet for their 28th bargaining session on November 9. In July, about 4,000 nurses held a one-day strike, followed by a four-day lockout imposed by the hospital. The union had also planned an indefinite strike for October 14, then paused it to let members consider the offer.
Brigham Nurses Prepare to Strike for Fair Pay and Patient Care
Brigham nurses are again preparing to walk out after rejecting a contract that offered no across-the-board raises. Their November 12 strike notice puts pressure on Mass General Brigham to resolve a months-long dispute over pay and benefits before negotiations resume on November 9.
The union sought wage increases of 3 percent for the first six months and 4 percent for the next year, citing inflation and Greater Boston’s high cost of living. The hospital instead proposed two 2.5 percent increases for nurses at the top pay step. Nurses are also seeking changes involving health insurance and temporary staffing.
The hospital points to existing pay, including annual 5 percent step increases for up to 20 years and salaries of at least $220,000 for roughly 30 percent of nurses. But those figures do not answer the union’s demand for across-the-board increases. Nurses who provide essential patient care should not have to accept a contract without the raises they say are needed.
The sides say compensation and benefits remain unresolved, while patient and workplace safety proposals are settled. A July one-day walkout was followed by a four-day lockout. The latest strike threat makes the November 9 bargaining session a crucial opportunity to reach an agreement before patient care faces another work stoppage.
Brigham Strike Threat Puts Hospital Stability and Care at Risk
Brigham nurses have set another strike deadline even as contract talks are due to resume November 9. The union’s plan could take more than 4,000 nurses off the job starting November 12, putting pressure on a hospital that says it must protect patient care and its long-term financial footing.
The remaining dispute centers on wages and benefits. Nurses rejected the hospital’s latest offer, which included two 2.5 percent increases for those at the top of the pay scale but no across-the-board raises. The union had sought increases of 3 percent and then 4 percent, along with changes involving insurance and temporary staffing.
The hospital says its compensation is already among the highest in the market: new graduates earn nearly $87,000, annual step increases can continue for 20 years, and about 30 percent of nurses make at least $220,000. Mass General Brigham says it must weigh compensation against its obligations to patients, its wider workforce and the institution’s financial sustainability.
The July dispute brought a one-day strike and a further four-day lockout. Both sides now face a choice at the November 9 bargaining session: find common ground on compensation and benefits or enter another work stoppage. The hospital says it has contingency plans to maintain care during any strike.
Reported by The Boston Globe, CBS Boston, Boston.com, GBH News, WBUR.
