More than 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and roughly 450 home health workers walked off the job Wednesday, launching what union officials call the largest healthcare labor strike in Massachusetts history.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association said the walkout comes after seven months of failed negotiations over its members’ wages, health insurance costs and staffing protections.
The union only approved a one-day strike, but Brigham management says nurses won’t be allowed back to work until July 13, which is five days later. This is because the hospital hired temporary replacement nurses and is contractually required to give them five days of work.
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“Brigham nurses cannot work during a strike. We have comprehensive emergency preparedness plans to ensure high-quality, safe patient care. This includes bringing on qualified, temporary nurses, many of whom practice at leading academic medical centers across the country, who will be integrated with our care teams and provide safe patient care throughout the work stoppage,” the hospital stated in a FAQ page posted to its website on Wednesday.
Separately, the home care clinicians on strike — who are negotiating their very first contract after unionizing in 2024 — started their own strike the same day, but theirs is planned to last a full seven days.
“We are seeking safety standards and support from MGB to be able to continue providing high-quality care across a wide range of patient needs,” Shannon Viera, chair of the Mass General Brigham Massachusetts Nurses Association Home Care Bargaining Committee, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, MGB has refused to negotiate with us ahead of a 7-day strike, forcing clinicians onto the picket line to advocate for patient safety and the professional respect we deserve.”
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey stepped in and brought both sides to the State House on Wednesday afternoon to try to hash out a deal while the strike is still going on. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu also helped push for the meeting. They are treating the issue as a major public concern — which is not typical, given lawmakers usually don’t take healthcare labor disputes this seriously.
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It’s not clear yet whether the meeting was able to bring the two sides closer to a deal. The union says its side is willing to keep negotiating for as long as it takes to reach a fair contract.
At the heart of the standoff is a disagreement over pay. The union is asking for a 3% raise in the first six months of an 18-month contract and 4% over the following year, but Mass General isn’t offering any across-the-board increase beyond existing 5% annual step raises nurses already receive annually.
The hospital estimates the union’s proposal would cost $128 million over the life of the contract. Union leaders counter that Mass General can afford it.
With $35.8 billion in assets, Mass General is one of the wealthiest health systems in the country. In 2024, it paid its top 14 executives a combined $35.9 million.
Photo: Alona Horkova, Getty Images