Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — According to the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) nurses have voted to ratify a new contract.
Dozens of bargaining sessions and a federal mediator were not enough for BWH nurses to reach a new deal with the hospital, so the nurses voted to authorize a one-day strike back in July. On Aug. 8, negotiations proved to be successful for both parties, averting the potential strike and reaching a tentative contract agreement.
On Tuesday, Sept. 10, Brigham’s 4,000 nurses voted overwhelmingly to ratify the new contract. In a statement released by the MNA, the union said the new contract “ensures strong investment in BWH nurses by Mass General Brigham (MGB) to address significant concerns about patient safety and nurse burnout.”
“We are extremely proud of Brigham nurses for fighting together to win such a strong contract and help protect our patients. Through our union contract, we were able to secure significant investment to help with recruitment and retention and improve patient care conditions,” said nurse Kelly Morgan, BWH MNA Chair.
Per the MNA, the new contract includes a 20 to 30 percent raise in wages over the next two and a half years, as well as a $22.50 raise for on-call nurses required to be within 30 minutes of the hospital. Union representatives said these increases will “close the gap between BWH nurses and Dana-Farber nurses.”
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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