Boston nursing strike: 4,000 staff to walk out on Nov. 12
Nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital will begin an open-ended walkout on Nov. 12 after rejecting a new contract offer from Mass General Brigham.
By Jonathan Hoffmann ·
Registered nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston will begin an open-ended strike at 7 a.m. on Nov. 12. The action follows a vote to reject the latest contract proposal from their employer, Mass General Brigham.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents more than 4,000 nurses at the hospital, issued a 10-day strike notice on Sunday, Nov. 1. This notice formally signals the start of the work stoppage scheduled for next week.
Kelly Morgan, a labor and delivery nurse and chair of the hospital’s bargaining committee, said the group is ready to strike but also prepared to negotiate. She stated, “We are ready to strike but are equally prepared to negotiate a fair contract that protects patient care, respects nurses, and averts the strike.”
Morgan added that the nurses intend to fight for as long as necessary to secure patient safety and professional respect. The committee plans to return to the negotiating table with Mass General Brigham on Nov. 9.
Negotiations on that date will focus on reaching an agreement that meets the needs of the nurses and the patients they serve. Community members have rallied with the nurses throughout the current contract dispute.
The strike is open-ended, meaning there is no set date for the nurses to return to work. They will remain off the job until a new contract is agreed upon.
