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Brigham nurses authorize open-ended strike in stalled contract fight

Brigham nurses authorize open-ended strike in stalled contract fight

Force in Play Boston, MA local

Second strike authorization in three months, over wages and health insurance

Today: Nurses authorize open-ended strike

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Nearly 3,000 nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital voted on September 24 to authorize an open-ended strike, with just 215 voting against. The authorization lets the union walk out on 10 days' notice, two months after a one-day strike ended in a four-day lockout.

The fight is over wages and health insurance. The union wants a 3% raise for the first six months and 4% for the next year; the hospital offers no new across-the-board raise on top of the 5% step increases nurses already get for their first 20 years. MGB calls the demand unsustainable, while the union points to the $35.9 million paid to the system's top 14 executives last fiscal year.

Why it matters

An open-ended strike at a Harvard-affiliated flagship would shut Boston's second-largest hospital, divert patients, and force more reliance on temporary nurses.

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Key Indicators

≈3,000
Nurses backing open-ended strike
Only 215 of roughly 3,000 voting nurses opposed the September strike authorization.
99.6%
June strike authorization margin
2,798 yes votes to 12 no, the largest nurse strike authorization vote in Massachusetts history.
5 days
Total July work stoppage
A one-day strike on July 8 plus a four-day lockout imposed by the hospital.
$35.9M
MGB top-14 executive pay, fiscal 2024
The union cites this figure as evidence the system can afford the raises it refuses to offer.
$220,000
Top-step Brigham nurse pay at 20 years
Nurses start at $86,700; about a third of the union, 1,322 nurses, earn the maximum step.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

November 2025 September 2026

6 events Latest: Today
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Nurses authorize open-ended strike

    Today Vote

    Nearly 3,000 Brigham nurses vote to authorize an indefinite strike; only 215 oppose. Union has not set a date.

  2. Governor pressures hospital, impasse declared

    Statement

    WBUR reports negotiations stalled; MGB declares impasse and Gov. Healey urges the hospital to resume talks.

  3. Hospital locks out nurses

    Lockout

    MGB locks nurses out for four days, citing the need to give temporary workers five days of work.

  4. One-day nurses strike

    Strike

    Brigham nurses walk off for a day over wages and benefits; the hospital brings in temporary nurses.

  5. Record strike authorization vote

    Vote

    Nurses vote 99.6% (2,798 to 12) to authorize a one-day strike, the largest nurse strike vote in Massachusetts history.

  6. Contract negotiations begin

    Negotiation

    Brigham nurses and Mass General Brigham open talks on a new contract for roughly 4,000 registered nurses.

Scenarios

1

Brigham Nurses Walk Out Indefinitely

Likely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Massachusetts Nurses Association bargaining committee

With roughly 3,000 votes backing an open-ended strike and the hospital refusing further raises, the union gives 10 days' notice and walks out. The hospital brings in agency nurses; the strike drags on as patient volumes fall and both sides lose money, mirroring longer hospital strikes elsewhere.

2

MGB Concedes, Nurses Ratify Contract

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: WBUR health reporter Priyanka Dayal McCluskey

Facing the prospect of an indefinite shutdown and pressure from Gov. Healey, MGB returns with an across-the-board raise for nurses below the top step and a health-insurance choice concession. Union members ratify, and the strike is never called.

3

Healey Brokers a Mediated Compromise

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: Governor Maura Healey's office

The governor convenes formal mediation; both sides compromise on a smaller raise and a phased insurance change. The strike is avoided, but the fight extends into 2027 and the contract is settled without either side fully getting its way.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2016

University of Chicago Medical Center Lockout (2016)

Nearly 700 nurses at the University of Chicago Medical Center went on a one-day strike in 2016 over wages and staffing. The hospital locked them out afterward and hired temporary nurses.

Then

The nurses returned and the two sides eventually reached a new contract.

Now

The one-day-strike-then-lockout pattern gave employers leverage; unions responded by planning longer, open-ended strikes.

Why this matters now

Brigham used the identical tactic in July 2026: a one-day strike met with a four-day lockout.

October 2023

Kaiser Permanente Strike (2023)

In October 2023, 75,000 Kaiser Permanente health-care workers across five states struck for three days over chronic understaffing and wages, the largest health-care walkout in U.S. history.

Then

Kaiser reached a tentative deal within days; workers later ratified a four-year contract with raises totaling 21%.

Now

The settlement showed large health systems will accept substantial wage increases once staffing complaints become a public walkout.

Why this matters now

Mirrors the Boston dispute: staffing and pay grievances escalating to a strike that ends in wage concessions.

Sources

(4)

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