Brigham Nurses Reject Hospital's Final Contract Offer

Nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have rejected the hospital's "last, best and final" contract offer. The vote ran on Thursday and Friday, and a majority turned the offer down. It came less than two weeks after the nurses paused plans for an indefinite strike.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) does not release final tallies for ratification votes, according to spokesperson Joe Markman. He said the bargaining committee's priority is to return to the table with Mass General Brigham management. The union's strike authorization remains active, and the committee is due to meet this week to discuss next steps.

"The nurses spoke in their vote, and MGB needs to get back to the table," Markman said.

The hospital said in a statement that its offer reflected a commitment to "long-term sustainability" and pay that keeps nurses "among the highest in the market". It added that it was disappointed by the outcome and was prepared to keep care running without interruption if the union takes any steps.

Months of dispute

About 4,000 Brigham nurses held a one-day strike on 8 July. The hospital then locked them out for four more days, citing contracts with temporary nurses. On 11 August, a federal mediator allegedly told the union that the hospital did not want to keep meeting with nurses because of a "practical impasse", the union said in a press release. On 24 September, the nurses authorized an indefinite strike by 2,986 votes to 215.

That strike was originally set for 14 October. The nurses postponed it, citing the "complexity of the agreement" and the impact a strike would have. A second strike would need a new 10-day notice to the hospital, and the nurses have formally asked management to resume talks.

What the offer contained

The hospital's 10 October offer followed the 27th bargaining session. It added two 2.5 percent raises at the top step of the pay scale for the longest-serving nurses and would have run until September 2028. It reportedly covered health insurance, another union priority. It did not include across-the-board raises to account for inflation, a key union demand. The union said Mass General Brigham "continues to refuse to provide cost of living wage increases".

Bargaining committee chair Kelly Morgan, a nurse, said in a social media post after the vote: "You are sending a message back to them that the conditions and terms that they offered us are unacceptable." The rejection comes days after The Boston Globe reported that Mass General Brigham was in the midst of layoffs.

Source: Boston.com