Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham is managing a planned strike involving thousands of nurses and other clinicians represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
Five things to know:
1. The strike involves more than 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and about 450 clinicians at MGB Home Care. Brigham and Women’s Hospital nurses are striking for one day beginning July 8, but the work stoppage will last five days, through July 13, due to operational and staffing requirements. Separately, about 450 MGB Home Care clinicians are striking for seven days, July 8-15. Together, the actions constitute the largest nurse and healthcare professional strike in Massachusetts history, according to the MNA.
2. In a statement shared with Becker’s, MGB said it has participated in 22 bargaining sessions with the MNA since November 2025, including with a federal mediator, and said it is fully prepared to continue providing high-quality patient care during a work stoppage. MGB said its proposal preserves the 5% annual step increases nurses currently receive, which it said builds on approximately 55% average growth in Brigham nurse wages over the past five years.
3. The union contends MGB has not engaged on key issues including health insurance and the use of temporary staff. The MNA said the health system’s wage offer amounts to zero percent in additional across-the-board increases beyond the existing annual step increases nurses already receive. Gov. Maura Healey convened representatives from both sides on July 6, though the meeting did not result in a breakthrough.
4. The Home Care clinicians are negotiating their first union contract after voting to join the MNA in June 2024. They voted 92% in May to authorize a potential seven-day strike, which would run through July 15. Brigham nurses have been in negotiations since November 2025; Home Care clinicians have been negotiating since March 2025.
5. MGB said qualified clinicians will be brought in to maintain care continuity during the stoppage. Nearly 1,300 agency nurses have received orientation and will be integrated into existing care teams at Brigham and Women’s. For Home Care, some ancillary services, such as dietitian and speech language therapy appointments, will be paused during the strike.
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