Brigham nurses – Nearly 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital approved a one-day strike authorization in record numbers Tuesday, signaling an escalation in a contract dispute over pay, staffing, and nurse recruitment and retention.
By the time the results were counted Tuesday, the message from Brigham and Women’s Hospital nurses was unmistakable. In numbers that set a new benchmark for Massachusetts, they voted to authorize a one-day strike—an action that could become a real threat if contract talks fail.
The nearly 4. 000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association. produced 2. 798 yes votes to 12 no votes. the largest registered nurse strike authorization in Massachusetts history. The union said it took that step after months of bargaining that it described as insufficient to address pay and staffing pressures.
The vote followed seven months of negotiations and 19 bargaining sessions. It does not mean a strike will occur automatically. but it gives the Brigham nurses the ability to schedule a one-day strike if needed to secure what they call a fair contract. If nurses do authorize a strike, they would provide 10 days’ notice.
The next bargaining session is scheduled for June 18.
In a statement. Brigham and Women’s Hospital said it respects and values its nurses and remains committed to reaching a fair agreement. The hospital described its proposal as one that ensures every nurse receives a raise through annual step increases or a top-of-scale increase. It said the proposal also preserves competitive health benefits, retirement support, paid time off, shift differentials, and professional development opportunities.
The hospital said it is prepared to provide safe, high-quality care if the nurses go on strike.
The union’s case is sharper. The Massachusetts Nurses Association said it called for the strike authorization after Massachusetts General Brigham executives proposed no wage increases for nurses below the top pay scale. sought to increase health insurance costs. and declined to include measures the union says are necessary to recruit and retain enough nurses to care for patients.
Kelly Morgan. RN. a labor and delivery nurse and chair of the BWH MNA Bargaining Committee. said she was proud of the nurses for voting. “We do not want to strike, but MGB (Mass General Brigham) executives have left nurses with little choice,” Morgan said. “You cannot claim patient care is your top priority while refusing to invest in the nurses who provide that care every day.”.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, however, disputes the union’s framing of what is at stake. The hospital said it provides a 5% annual raise as employees progress through the 20-step scale. It said it is also providing about 30% of the value of compensation through the benefits package.
The hospital said the only change to the proposed benefits is to the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care plan premium. It also said all nurses would be eligible to enroll in any of the medical insurance plans available to the rest of the employees without any change.
For nurses like Jen DeVincent, the argument is not abstract. DeVincent, a labor and delivery nurse at Brigham’s, said patient safety remains a priority, but the vote now is about securing pay needed to retain nurses—particularly as other organizations in the region offer more.
Nurses, DeVincent said, also want a limit on what she described as the overuse of temporary travel nurses, arguing that it would help strengthen continuity of care.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital said it already has a high retention rate of 3%, compared to 8.6% nationally.
DeVincent said investing in nurses means investing in patient safety. “It’s about having enough full-time staff, less turnover, and supplies to make it happen,” she said.
She also pushed back on the hospital’s portrayal of the dispute. “It’s not just nurses dripping in dollars as Brigham is saying,” DeVincent said. “There’s a lot at stake.”
The moment Tuesday’s vote creates comes with a recent memory. The last time Brigham nurses voted to authorize a strike was in July 2024. when nurses were fighting to ensure safe patient care and quality working conditions. This time. the union and nurses describe the fight as extending to pay and staffing stability—elements they say are tied directly to whether hospitals can keep enough nurses on the job consistently.
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