Approximately 4,500 nurses and clinicians represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association are scheduled to begin a strike Wednesday at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Mass General Brigham Home Care unless new labor agreements are reached. MGB says it has plans in place to continue caring for patients throughout the work stoppage. The Massachusetts Nurses Association said more than 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital plan a one-day strike beginning at 7 a.m. Wednesday, while about 450 MGB Home Care clinicians plan a seven-day strike beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Members voted to authorize the strike last week, and a required 10-day notification was sent to MGB. Nurses said they planned a one-day strike, but expected the hospital to lock them out for four additional days. The home care strike is expected to last seven days.”We take seriously the union’s decision to strike and are fully prepared to continue providing high-quality patient care throughout a work stoppage,” Mass General Brigham said in a statement.The hospital group said it has participated in 21 bargaining sessions with Brigham nurses and 29 sessions with Home Care clinicians.MGB Home Care clinicians are negotiating their first MNA contract after voting to unionize in June 2024. The bargaining unit includes registered nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, social workers and dietitians.The hospital system said temporary, qualified nurses and clinicians will be brought in to maintain care during the strikes.”MGB executives are forcing 4,000 Brigham nurses to strike by choosing corporate profits over patient care,” Kelly Morgan, a labor and delivery nurse and chair of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital MNA bargaining committee, said in a statement.Mass General Brigham disputed several of the union’s characterizations of negotiations. The health system said all remaining bargaining issues involve economics, not patient safety or workplace safety, and said Brigham nurses are among the highest-paid in the market. The hospital system also said it has a 3% nursing vacancy rate compared with a reported national average of 8.6% and receives more than 1,000 nursing applications each week.What patients should knowAccording to the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the upcoming strike would be the largest of its kind in state history. Mass General Brigham said Brigham and Women’s Hospital will continue providing care during the strike and that emergency preparedness plans are in place. The health system said Home Care patients should expect care teams to contact them directly if appointments need to be rescheduled.While the nurses scheduled a one-day strike, the hospital said it would lock them out for a total of five days. The hospital said the timeline reflects the minimum five-day work commitment required under its contract with temporary replacement nurses.The hospital said it has hired qualified temporary nurses, many of whom work at academic medical centers across the country, to work alongside existing care teams throughout the work stoppage.Operations at the main Brigham and Women’s Hospital campus and ambulatory locations are expected to continue largely as normal, although patients and visitors may experience increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic because of picketing activity.Mass General Brigham said patients should keep their scheduled appointments unless they are contacted directly by their care team. The hospital said any appointment changes will be communicated in advance.For Home Care patients, the health system said some ancillary services, including dietitian and speech-language therapy appointments, will be paused if the strike occurs. According to the health system, patients whose appointments change will be contacted directly by their care teams.What’s at issueThe two sides remain divided primarily over economic issues after months of negotiations, though they differ on how those issues affect patient care and the nursing workforce.The Massachusetts Nurses Association said Brigham nurses are seeking higher wage increases, including cost-of-living increases, to improve recruitment and retention. They also want more affordable health insurance choices and greater investment in permanent staff instead of temporary travel nurses.Additionally, the union said it is seeking protection from possible changes including “the closure of the Weiner Center, the elimination of the Brigham Burn Unit, and cuts to other patient care programs.” Mass General Brigham said all remaining issues at the bargaining table are economic and that patient safety and workplace safety are not currently being negotiated. The hospital said Brigham nurses are already among the highest compensated in the market and that its proposal would preserve market-leading pay through annual 5% step increases, additional raises or bonuses for nurses at the top of the pay scale, continued premium pay, professional development opportunities and health benefits.For MGB Home Care clinicians, who are negotiating their first union contract, the Massachusetts Nurses Association said members are seeking caseload limits, transparent productivity standards and higher wages. Mass General Brigham said it has reached more than 20 tentative agreements with the bargaining unit and has proposed changes to overtime, on-call territory pay and wages.

BOSTON —

Approximately 4,500 nurses and clinicians represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association are scheduled to begin a strike Wednesday at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Mass General Brigham Home Care unless new labor agreements are reached.

MGB says it has plans in place to continue caring for patients throughout the work stoppage.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association said more than 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital plan a one-day strike beginning at 7 a.m. Wednesday, while about 450 MGB Home Care clinicians plan a seven-day strike beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Members voted to authorize the strike last week, and a required 10-day notification was sent to MGB.

Nurses said they planned a one-day strike, but expected the hospital to lock them out for four additional days. The home care strike is expected to last seven days.

“We take seriously the union’s decision to strike and are fully prepared to continue providing high-quality patient care throughout a work stoppage,” Mass General Brigham said in a statement.

The hospital group said it has participated in 21 bargaining sessions with Brigham nurses and 29 sessions with Home Care clinicians.

MGB Home Care clinicians are negotiating their first MNA contract after voting to unionize in June 2024. The bargaining unit includes registered nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, social workers and dietitians.

The hospital system said temporary, qualified nurses and clinicians will be brought in to maintain care during the strikes.

“MGB executives are forcing 4,000 Brigham nurses to strike by choosing corporate profits over patient care,” Kelly Morgan, a labor and delivery nurse and chair of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital MNA bargaining committee, said in a statement.

Mass General Brigham disputed several of the union’s characterizations of negotiations. The health system said all remaining bargaining issues involve economics, not patient safety or workplace safety, and said Brigham nurses are among the highest-paid in the market. The hospital system also said it has a 3% nursing vacancy rate compared with a reported national average of 8.6% and receives more than 1,000 nursing applications each week.

What patients should know

According to the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the upcoming strike would be the largest of its kind in state history.

Mass General Brigham said Brigham and Women’s Hospital will continue providing care during the strike and that emergency preparedness plans are in place. The health system said Home Care patients should expect care teams to contact them directly if appointments need to be rescheduled.

While the nurses scheduled a one-day strike, the hospital said it would lock them out for a total of five days. The hospital said the timeline reflects the minimum five-day work commitment required under its contract with temporary replacement nurses.

The hospital said it has hired qualified temporary nurses, many of whom work at academic medical centers across the country, to work alongside existing care teams throughout the work stoppage.

Operations at the main Brigham and Women’s Hospital campus and ambulatory locations are expected to continue largely as normal, although patients and visitors may experience increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic because of picketing activity.

Mass General Brigham said patients should keep their scheduled appointments unless they are contacted directly by their care team. The hospital said any appointment changes will be communicated in advance.

For Home Care patients, the health system said some ancillary services, including dietitian and speech-language therapy appointments, will be paused if the strike occurs. According to the health system, patients whose appointments change will be contacted directly by their care teams.

What’s at issue

The two sides remain divided primarily over economic issues after months of negotiations, though they differ on how those issues affect patient care and the nursing workforce.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association said Brigham nurses are seeking higher wage increases, including cost-of-living increases, to improve recruitment and retention. They also want more affordable health insurance choices and greater investment in permanent staff instead of temporary travel nurses.

Additionally, the union said it is seeking protection from possible changes including “the closure of the Weiner Center, the elimination of the Brigham Burn Unit, and cuts to other patient care programs.”

Mass General Brigham said all remaining issues at the bargaining table are economic and that patient safety and workplace safety are not currently being negotiated. The hospital said Brigham nurses are already among the highest compensated in the market and that its proposal would preserve market-leading pay through annual 5% step increases, additional raises or bonuses for nurses at the top of the pay scale, continued premium pay, professional development opportunities and health benefits.

For MGB Home Care clinicians, who are negotiating their first union contract, the Massachusetts Nurses Association said members are seeking caseload limits, transparent productivity standards and higher wages. Mass General Brigham said it has reached more than 20 tentative agreements with the bargaining unit and has proposed changes to overtime, on-call territory pay and wages.