Brigham Nurses, Management Set Talks Before Oct. 14 Strike

Negotiators for nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and hospital management were scheduled to return to the bargaining table on October 8, less than a week before an open-ended strike set to begin October 14, the Massachusetts Nurses Association said in an October 7 announcement.

The union's bargaining committee, elected by roughly 4,000 nurses at the hospital, has been negotiating for over a year. Nurses backed a strike authorization on September 24 by a vote of 2,986 to 215, with the union putting support at 93%. The required 10-day strike notice was delivered to the hospital on the morning of October 2.

If it goes forward, the walkout would last until a contract is settled with Mass General Brigham, the union said. The MNA is framing it as an unfair labor practice strike, citing complaints it has filed against the hospital since July; the National Labor Relations Board affords striking workers broader protections in such cases.

"Our preference is to avert the strike by negotiating an agreement that meets the needs of our patients and nurses," said Kelly Morgan, a labor and delivery registered nurse who chairs the bargaining committee.

The union pointed to state data showing Mass General Brigham recorded a total margin of $2.3 billion, the highest among hospital systems in Massachusetts. The MNA, founded in 1903, represents 26,000 members statewide.

This story was first reported by PR Newswire.