More Than 4,000 Brigham and Women's Hospital Nurses Set Strike Date

More than 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have scheduled an open-ended strike to begin at 7 a.m. on November 12. The work stoppage follows a vote to reject the latest contract proposal from Mass General Brigham.

The elected nurses of the Brigham Massachusetts Nurses Association Bargaining Committee issued a 10-day strike notice on Sunday, November 1. This formal notice triggers the timeline for the labor action and signals that the two sides have failed to reach a tentative agreement in time to avoid the work stoppage.

Kelly Morgan, RN, serves as the Chair of the BWH MNA Bargaining Committee. She is a labor and delivery nurse who represented the group in negotiations. In a statement, she said the nurses 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 Brigham nurses are resolved to fight for as long as it takes for patient safety and the professional respect they deserve. The union cited the needs of the nurses, their patients, and the community members who have rallied with the workers throughout the dispute.

Negotiations are set to resume on November 9. That date falls three days before the strike begins, leaving a short window for both parties to close remaining gaps. If no deal is reached by then, the open-ended strike will proceed as scheduled.

The dispute centers on the terms of the labor contract between the Massachusetts Nurses Association and the hospital system. The strike notice remains in effect, and no deadline has been set for the work stoppage to end beyond the terms of a new agreement.