More than 4,500 nurses and home care providers affiliated with Mass General Brigham will launch a strike on July 8, the Massachusetts Nurses Association announced Friday, teeing up what could be the largest health care workers strike in state history.
Nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital will walk out for 24 hours, the union said, while clinicians at MGB Home Care will strike for seven days, ending July 15. Both units are represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
While the Brigham nurses approved only a one-day strike, MGB said in a notice to employees that union nurses will not be able to work until July 13, “due to the extensive emergency preparedness plans the hospital must implement.” The hospital will hire temporary nursing staff and is contractually obligated to provide them five days of work, according to the notice.
The strike notices come after months of failed negotiations between the unions and MGB, the state’s largest hospital system.
“We have spent more than a year trying to negotiate a fair first contract,” nurse Shannon Viera, chair of the MGB Home Care union bargaining committee, said in a statement. “We do not want to strike, but we need enforceable standards and meaningful improvements so clinicians can continue providing the quality care our patients deserve.”
In mid-June, amid stalled contract negotiations, both units overwhelmingly voted to approve strikes. The walkout is set to be the first-ever strike for the more-than-4,000 nurse Brigham union chapter. It would also be the first-ever strike for the nascent MGB Home Care unit, which is fighting for its first contract and represents about 450 nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, social workers, dietitians, and others.
Under state law, the union has to give 10 days’ notice in advance of any strike to allow the hospital time to minimize patient care disruptions.
Jessica Pastore, a Brigham spokesperson, said in a statement the hospital would be prepared.
“We take seriously the union’s decision to strike and are fully prepared to continue providing high-quality patient care throughout a work stoppage,” the statement said, adding that the hospital had participated in 21 negotiating sessions with the union, including with a federal mediator.
“Brigham nurses are among the highest compensated in the market,” the statement said, adding that they receive an annual 5 percent step increase on wages and the new proposal would give raises through annual step increases or a top-of-scale increase while also preserving competitive health benefits, retirement support, paid time off, shift differential payments, and training opportunities. “We respect and value our nurses and remain committed to reaching a fair agreement.”
The Brigham nurses contract is largely stuck on health insurance premiums and cost-of-living increases. The hospital’s proposal includes annual 5 percent step increases and pay raises for employees at the top of the step scale, according to a statement from MGB.
Nurses at the Brigham currently start at $86,700 annually, while mid-level nurses make about $147,000, according to documents shared by MGB.
Under past contracts, Brigham nurses received cost-of-living adjustments in addition to the yearly pay increases based on experience.
“Executives have refused for months to invest in nurses, instead making proposals that would make it harder to recruit and retain nurses,” said Kelly Morgan, labor and delivery nurse and chair of the bargaining committee at the Brigham. “We are standing up for our patients, our profession, and the future of care at the Brigham.”
The Brigham, a flagship hospital of the MGB system, previously expressed concerns that the union was misleading the public by omitting that nurses get the automatic 5 percent pay bump each year.
MGB Home Care providers are seeking caseload limits, clearer productivity standards, and higher wages.
During the Home Care strike, some ancillary services, including dietitian and speech language therapy appointments, will be paused, Pastore said.
Marin Wolf can be reached at marin.wolf@globe.com.