Boston Nurses Reach Tentative Agreement Hours Before Planned Strike

BOSTON, MA — Thousands of nurses at a Boston hospital have reached a tentative contract agreement to avoid a planned strike.

More than 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, reached the agreement with Mass General Brigham on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The deal came hours before an open-ended strike was scheduled to begin Thursday at 7 a.m.

The proposed contract would run through Sept. 30, 2028, and includes changes to wages, health insurance, and temporary staffing. Nurses still need to vote to approve the agreement, which the union’s bargaining committee will recommend they ratify.

“I’m incredibly proud of the Brigham nurses who stood strong to protect the world-class patient care we provide,” labor and delivery nurse and bargaining committee Chair Kelly Morgan said.

The agreement would require the hospital to post 20 new 36-hour float pool nursing positions to help reduce reliance on temporary nurses and the reassignment of nurses between units. A joint staffing committee would review data on both practices.

Current nurses working 40 hours with individual health insurance plans would retain premium-free coverage, while newly hired nurses working those hours would contribute 2.5 percent of the premium. The contract would also add a new top wage step 2.5 percent above the existing step 21, effective Nov. 15. Nurses below the top step would receive a $1,000 bonus upon ratification, prorated based on their full-time-equivalent hours.

Hospital officials welcomed the agreement, saying it recognizes nurses’ contributions while supporting the hospital’s long-term sustainability and ability to care for patients.

The union issued a 10-day strike notice Nov. 1 after nurses voted Oct. 23 to reject the hospital’s latest offer. The two sides returned to negotiations Nov. 9 after approximately 11 months of bargaining.

The nurses previously held a one-day strike on July 8. The hospital then locked them out for four additional days, saying its contracts with replacement nurses required five days of work. An open-ended strike was later scheduled for Oct. 14 but was postponed so nurses could consider the hospital’s revised offer, which was ultimately rejected.

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