More than 4,000 nurses at Boston-based Brigham and Women’s Hospital have reached a tentative contract agreement with Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham, calling off an open-ended strike that was set to begin Nov. 12.
The nurses, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, reached the agreement Nov. 11 after months of negotiations, which included a one-day strike in July. In October, nurses voted to reject the hospital’s last, best and final offer, according to the union.
The proposed contract runs through Sept. 30, 2028. It includes 20 new float pool nurse positions, tracking of nurse floating and temporary nurse use, and a new joint staffing committee, the union said. Current nurses will keep their existing health insurance premium splits, while newly hired nurses working 40 hours will contribute 2.5% of the premium for individual plans.
The agreement also adds two new top steps to the wage scale, each 2.5% above the prior top step, and a $1,000 bonus for nurses below the top step, prorated by hours, according to the union.
The union’s bargaining committee will recommend that nurses ratify the agreement.
“Importantly, the agreement was reached within the financial limits of the hospital’s last, best and final offer presented on Oct. 10,” Brigham and Women’s Hospital said in a statement shared with Becker’s. “We deeply value our Brigham nurses and believe this agreement recognizes their important contributions while supporting the long-term sustainability of our hospital and our ability to care for our patients and communities.”
