Members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association plan to begin an open-ended strike Nov. 12 at Boston-based Brigham and Women’s Hospital, part of Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham.
The union, which represents more than 4,000 Brigham nurses, issued a 10-day strike notice Nov. 1, according to a union news release shared with Becker’s. The notice follows the nurses’ vote Oct. 23 to reject the hospital’s final contract offer, after the union postponed an earlier open-ended strike so members could vote. Negotiations are scheduled to resume Nov. 9.
The union is seeking limits on temporary nurses, a float differential, health insurance choice and a competitive wage scale, according to the release.
“We are ready to strike but are equally prepared to negotiate a fair contract that protects patient care, respects nurses and averts the strike,” said Kelly Morgan, RN, chair of the union’s bargaining committee, in the release.
The hospital said in an update that the remaining issues relate to compensation and benefits, including wages and health insurance, and that no patient or workplace safety proposals remain unresolved. Its Oct. 10 offer kept the existing step scale with 5% increases and added a new 2.5% top step in each year of the proposed contract for nurses at the top of all scales.
“While we had hoped to avoid another strike, we are prepared to continue providing safe, high-quality care throughout any work stoppage, building on our experience and extensive contingency planning,” the hospital said.
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