Overview
- The authorization vote of about 4,000 unionized nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital is underway Thursday and results had not been reported by evening.
- A vote in favor would empower the Massachusetts Nurses Association bargaining committee to call an open-ended strike provided the union gives the 10-day legal notice required for hospital strikes.
- Nurses say the talks are stalled and they seek wage increases tied to cost of living, limits on use of temporary travel nurses, fair pay when floated between units, and the option to choose more affordable health plans.
- Mass General Brigham says it bargained in good faith across roughly 25 sessions, warns that the union’s 7% additional pay demand would add about $90 million a year plus an $11.2 million ratification bonus, and says it is prepared to maintain patient care if a strike occurs.
- The vote follows other recent authorizations in Boston and could prompt further regional labor action that would affect staffing, patient access, and bargaining leverage in negotiations across area hospitals.