Brigham Nurses Launch 4,000-Worker Strike as 450 Home Care Clinicians Join Walkout
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jul 8
Brigham Nurses Launch 4,000-Worker Strike as 450 Home Care Clinicians Join Walkout
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jul 8
Summary
About 4,000 Brigham and Women's Hospital nurses walked out early Wednesday in what officials called Massachusetts' largest nurses strike, with Boston police briefly closing Francis Street as picketers swelled.
The dispute centers on pay and working conditions: the union says the hospital is offering 0% raises, while Mass General Brigham says Brigham nurses average more than $147,000 a year and still receive 5% annual step increases.
Mass General Brigham says patient care will continue with replacement nurses hired for five days, turning the one-day strike into a lockout through July 13 at 7 a.m.; the union also alleged NICU nurses were blocked from leaving, which the hospital denied.
More than 450 MGB home health clinicians also struck in Braintree after 15 months of talks, seeking caseload limits, productivity rules and higher wages; the system said appointments would proceed unless patients were contacted directly.
The parallel walkouts underscore broader labor strain across the MGB system, with patients and families voicing concern about care quality even as some said they support the nurses' demands.
As nurse strikes surge nationally, what lessons did Massachusetts hospitals learn from the massive 2024 MGB walkout?
Two years after the historic 2024 strike, has Mass General Brigham solved its core issues with nurse retention and pay?
With MGB executives earning millions, why did the 2024 nurse contract dispute hinge on a 0% cost-of-living raise?
Mass General Brigham Faces Major Strike: 4,500 Nurses and Clinicians Demand Better Staffing and Pay
Overview
A major strike is set to begin on July 8, 2026, as about 4,500 nurses and clinicians represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association plan to walk out at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Mass General Brigham Home Care. Over 4,000 hospital nurses will strike for one day, while 450 home care clinicians will also join. This action is a direct response to Mass General Brigham's bargaining positions, which the union says threaten staff recruitment and retention. The strike highlights deep concerns over working conditions and fair compensation, with immediate impacts expected on patient care and hospital services.