Approximately 4,500 registered nurses and clinicians at Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham plan to strike July 8, which would be the largest healthcare strike in the state’s history, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
Six things to know:
1. The workers, represented by the MNA, include more than 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and about 450 clinicians at MGB Home Care, according to a June 26 union news release.
2. The legally required 10-day strike notices were given June 26. The Brigham and Women’s Hospital nurses plan to hold a one-day strike July 8, while the home care clinicians plan to begin a seven-day strike, also on July 8.
The union said the strike will occur unless health system leadership negotiates “fair contracts that invest in patient care and respect frontline caregivers,” according to the release.
3. Brigham and Women’s Hospital nurses are seeking a contract that includes competitive wage increases, insurance plan choice and limitations on the use of temporary travel nurses. The home care clinicians are seeking competitive wages, reasonable caseload limits and transparent productivity standards, according to the union release.
4. A Mass General Brigham spokesperson said Brigham and Women’s Hospital takes the union’s decision to strike seriously and is fully prepared to continue delivering high-quality care throughout a work stoppage, according to a June 26 statement shared with Becker’s.
“Brigham nurses are among the highest compensated in the market, and currently receive an annual 5% step increase on wages; our proposal ensures every nurse receives a raise 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 professional development opportunities as part of our overall compensation package,” the spokesperson said. “We respect and value our nurses and remain committed to reaching a fair agreement.”
5. MGB Home Care clinicians are negotiating their first 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.
6. The health system spokesperson said Home Care has held 29 negotiation sessions and reached more than 20 tentative agreements on several key provisions with the union. It has also proposed changes on overtime, enhanced on-call territory pay and wages, including new or improved pay scales.
“Safe, high-quality patient care remains Mass General Brigham’s top priority,” the spokesperson said. “Highly qualified clinicians will be ready to begin work to ensure continuity of care for our patients. Home Care leaders will also coordinate directly with referring providers to maintain continuity of services.”
The system will triage patients to ensure the most acute needs continue by the temporary clinicians. Some ancillary services, such as dietitian and speech language therapy appointments, will be paused.
“We are focused on reaching an agreement that supports patient care needs and supports the long-term sustainability of our system,” the spokesperson said.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 2:41 p.m. Central time on June 26 to include comment from Mass General Brigham.
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