Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
BOSTON — More than 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital walked off the job Wednesday in what the Massachusetts Nurses Association described as the largest nurse’s strike in the state’s history and the first strike ever at the Boston hospital.
The union said the one-day strike followed months of unsuccessful contract negotiations with Mass General Brigham. According to the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the main issue is wages. Union leaders said the hospital proposed no salary increases despite the rising cost of living in the Boston area.
The union said many nurses are struggling to afford housing and other living expenses and argued that higher pay is needed to recruit and retain experienced staff while maintaining patient care.
Mass General Brigham disputed the union’s claims, saying Brigham and Women’s nurses are already among the highest-paid in the region. The hospital said it presented competitive contract proposals during negotiations.
To maintain operations during the strike, the hospital hired about 1,300 temporary replacement nurses. Hospital officials said emergency services, scheduled surgeries and patient care would continue safely throughout the work stoppage.
Although the strike was planned to last 24 hours, the hospital imposed a five-day lockout after the walkout began. Hospital officials said the lockout was necessary because replacement nurses had been contracted to work for five days, making it impractical to immediately bring back the striking nurses.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association criticized the decision, saying nurses intended to return to work the following day and accusing the hospital of extending the labor dispute.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey urged both sides to resume negotiations, and contract talks continued with the assistance of mediators.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital is one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, and labor observers say the outcome of the negotiations could influence future contract discussions at hospitals across Massachusetts and elsewhere.
