Members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association have postponed a planned open-ended strike at Boston-based Brigham and Women’s Hospital, part of Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham, as they prepare to vote on the hospital’s final contract offer, according to statements both parties shared with Becker’s.
The strike by nearly 4,000 nurses was set to begin Oct. 14, after nurses authorized a potential open-ended walkout. The hospital presented its final offer during the parties’ 27th bargaining session Oct. 10, and the union withdrew its strike notice. A ratification vote has not been scheduled but is expected within the next week or two, according to the union.
The offer keeps the hospital’s existing wage progression, including annual 5% step increases until nurses reach 20 years of service, and adds two new 2.5% top steps for the most tenured nurses over the life of the contract, according to a letter to employees from Mass General Brigham leaders. The union said the offer does not include cost-of-living wage increases, which have been a central issue in negotiations.
“The hospital believes its final proposal reflects the value our nurses bring to patient care while balancing our responsibility to patients, our workforce, and the long-term strength of the hospital,” Brigham said in its statement.
The union said it decided to postpone the strike “given the complexity of the agreement and the impact of a potential strike on our nurses and the community.” Its statement added: “Brigham nurses will decide our next steps.”
If nurses reject the offer and the union decides to strike, it would need to give the hospital a new 10-day notice, according to the hospital’s letter. Nurses held a strike in July.
