Overview
- Thousands of unionized nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital walked off the job on Wednesday in a one-day strike after months of stalled bargaining over pay, benefits, and staffing.
- Mass General Brigham hired roughly 1,300 temporary nurses on five-day contracts and barred returning union nurses at 7:00 a.m. Thursday, producing a lockout that extends the work stoppage through July 13.
- The dispute centers on across-the-board wage increases, rising employee health-insurance contributions, and limits on use of travel nurses with the hospital saying its proposal maintains annual 5% step increases and that the union’s wage demand would add about $128 million in labor costs.
- About 450–500 MGB Home Care clinicians began a separate seven-day strike that has paused some home-care visits and referrals and will continue through July 15.
- State and local officials, including the governor and congressional leaders, have urged both sides back to the table while hospital leaders say care is continuing with temporary staff and the union warns unfamiliar replacements risk disruptions to patient care.