BOSTON — In what is poised to become the largest nurses’ strike in Massachusetts history, approximately 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have issued a formal 10-day notice to walk off the job. The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) announced Friday that unless a last-minute contract agreement is reached with Mass General Brigham (MGB), the nurses will initiate an open-ended strike starting at 7 a.m. on Oct. 14.
The scheduled walkout follows months of mounting tension between hospital management and the nursing staff. The MNA, which represents the 4,000 workers, characterizes the impending action as an “unfair labor practice strike.” Union officials cite multiple federal labor complaints filed against the hospital since July as the foundation for the protest.
The announcement of an indefinite strike marks a dramatic escalation from the events of earlier this summer. On July 8, the hospital experienced a one-day nursing strike, which was immediately followed by a four-day lockout imposed by hospital leadership. According to the union, negotiations have been effectively paralyzed since August. The MNA alleges that MGB management has refused to continue productive bargaining unless the union agrees to a multi-year pay freeze, a demand that has been met with staunch resistance from the workforce.
Last month, the union held an internal vote to gauge support for the strike, with 2,986 nurses voting in favor and only 215 opposed—an overwhelming mandate that underscores deep-seated frustrations. Key points of contention remain centered on chronic staffing concerns, the preservation of affordable health insurance, and the demand for wages that account for the impact of inflation.
Union leaders argue that Mass General Brigham is more than capable of addressing these demands. Pointing to the health system’s fiscal year 2025 financial disclosures, the MNA highlighted that MGB reported $22.8 billion in operating revenue and $2.39 billion in profits, alongside $35.8 billion in total assets. The union contends that the hospital’s financial success should be reflected in the quality of care and the stability of its permanent nursing staff.
“Nurses remain willing to negotiate and are urging the hospital to return to the bargaining table before the strike deadline,” union representatives stated on Friday. The nurses maintain that their priority is protecting patient care, which they argue is currently threatened by staffing shortages and unsustainable working conditions.
Mass General Brigham has not yet issued a formal response to the strike notice. As the Oct. 14 deadline approaches, the healthcare community in Boston is bracing for potential operational disruptions. Both parties remain under intense pressure to reach a resolution that prevents an open-ended labor crisis, as neither side appears willing to back down from their stated positions on contract terms.
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