Industry · MA
Brigham and Women's Hospital Nurses Set Nov. 12 Open-Ended Strike
Massachusetts Nurses Association members at Brigham and Women's Hospital, part of Mass General Brigham, issued a 10-day strike notice on Nov. 1 after voting Oct. 23 to reject the hospital's final contract offer. The open-ended strike is set to begin Nov. 12, though negotiations are scheduled to resume Nov. 9. The union, representing over 4,000 nurses, is seeking limits on temporary staffing, a float differential, health insurance choice and a competitive wage scale; the hospital says remaining disputes involve compensation and benefits, not patient or workplace safety issues. The hospital says it is prepared to maintain care through any work stoppage using contingency planning.
Why it mattersA prolonged nurse strike at a major academic medical center could disrupt staffing and access to care for the region's Medicaid managed care enrollees who rely on Brigham for acute and specialty services.