Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Potential strikes are on the table for two of Boston’s hospitals.
On Tuesday, the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) announced that 4,500 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital will vote to authorize one-day strikes. Brigham nurses will vote on Wednesday and Faulkner nurses will vote on Thursday.
The 4,000 nurses at Brigham are voting on one-day strikes due to ongoing contract negotiations that started back in August of 2023. Both MNA and Mass General Brigham (MGB) representatives said there have been 28 bargaining sessions and even a federal moderator since the beginning of May.
"MGB executives have forced the hand of Brigham nurses by taking advantage of our dedication to our patients. We care for extremely sick and injured patients without the right equipment, in crowded hallways, through mold and insect infestations, and under the constant threat of violence. Yet these executives – who pay themselves handsomely – refuse to respect Brigham nurses enough to settle a fair contract," said Brigham labor and delivery nurse and BWH MNA Chair Kelly Morgan.
“We made progress, reached tentative agreements on several issues, including workplace safety, and feel confident that we proposed a fair and equitable contract. Our focus remains on supporting our nurses while providing high-quality, safe care for our patients. If, through this vote announced today by the MNA, the bargaining committee is authorized to call for a strike and one is called, we are positioned to continue to provide the same high-quality care that patients expect,” said MGB in a statement to WBZ NewsRadio.
The 500 nurses at Faulkner are also involved in the negotiations, but they are focused on the “wage parity” between them and the Brigham nurses. The MNA says nurses at Faulkner are making “significantly less” than their counterparts at Brigham, but MGB says the hospitals provide “different levels of care.”
"MGB executives have long treated Faulkner Hospital like a part of Brigham and Women's Hospital but refuse to compensate us equally and ensure Faulkner has the nurses needed for safe patient care. We are concerned about the damaging cycle of Faulkner nurses receiving lower pay than the Brigham, making retention and recruitment difficult, and leading to understaffing, danger, and stress," said Faulkner RN and Co-Chair of the MNA Bargaining Committee Dan Rec.
“Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital is licensed as a community hospital, with lower reimbursements from the insurance carriers and less specialized care. The nursing salary scales reflect these differences. While the medical complexity of our patients is different at each organization, all of [the] nurses provide compassionate, high-quality care. We are committed to staff recruitment and retention in support of safe patient care, which is our top priority,” said MGB in a statement to WBZ NewsRadio.
If either or both of the hospitals’ nurses vote to authorize a strike, the hospitals will be alerted at least 10 days before a strike is scheduled to take place.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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