Overview
- The Massachusetts Nurses Association paused a planned Oct. 14 open-ended strike so roughly 4,000 Brigham nurses can vote on what the hospital called its “best and final” offer presented on Oct. 11.
- The hospital’s proposal would raise every nurse’s base salary in both years, add 2.5% to the top pay step and another 2.5% effective Sept. 30, 2027, post 20 36-hour float-pool positions and pay $70 when shifts are canceled with less than 1 hour 45 minutes’ notice.
- Union leaders say the offer still lacks an across-the-board cost-of-living increase that nurses pushed for, and they note they made concessions during talks including a smaller wage demand, a longer contract term, and a higher proposed limit on temporary nurses.
- If nurses reject the deal, the union could resume strike preparations but must give the legally required notice before walking out, and the hospital has previously lined up thousands of temporary nurses to cover shifts.
- The vote follows months of bargaining and earlier summer walkouts and lockouts and comes as the union has filed a complaint with the state attorney general alleging possible conflicts of interest involving the health system’s board, a development that adds a governance dimension to the labor fight.