Brigham and Women's Hospital Nurses Vote 99.6% to Authorize Strike, Largest RN Strike Vote in Massachusetts History
Key Insights
Nearly 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital voted overwhelmingly (2,798 to 12) to authorize a one-day strike after more than seven months of contract negotiations with Mass General Brigham (search).
MGB executives are offering 0% wage increases for nurses below the top step while proposing increases to health insurance costs, despite reporting a $2.4 billion net margin.
Nurses cite concerns over patient care service closures including the Weiner Center, Brigham Burn Unit, and Integrated Care Management Program as evidence of MGB prioritizing financial strategies over patient care.
Nearly 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (search) (MNA), voted overwhelmingly on June 16 to authorize a one-day strike, marking the largest registered nurse strike authorization vote in Massachusetts history. The final tally was 2,798 yes votes to 12 no votes — a 99.6% margin — as nurses protest what they describe as Mass General Brigham (search) (MGB) executives' refusal to invest in safe patient care and the nursing workforce.
The vote follows more than seven months of negotiations and 19 bargaining sessions. It does not automatically trigger a strike; rather, it authorizes the BWH MNA Bargaining Committee to schedule a one-day strike if necessary to secure a fair contract. Should a strike be scheduled, nurses will provide the legally required 10-day notice. The next bargaining session is set for June 18.
Wage Stagnation and Rising Insurance Costs
Central to the dispute is MGB's offer of 0% wage increases for nurses below the top step, a proposal the union describes as undermining recruitment, retention, and patient safety. At the same time, MGB is seeking to increase nurses' health insurance costs. Nurses are advocating for a health insurance choice option that would allow them to select from different plans based on their healthcare needs and family circumstances.
"I am incredibly proud of Brigham nurses for standing up for our patients, our profession, and each other with this vote," said Kelly Morgan, RN, a labor and delivery nurse and Chair of the BWH MNA Bargaining Committee. "We do not want to strike, but MGB executives have left nurses with little choice. You cannot claim patient care is your top priority while refusing to invest in the nurses who provide that care every day."
Executive Compensation Under Scrutiny
The union has drawn sharp contrasts between the austerity offered to bedside nurses and the compensation awarded to MGB's leadership. According to the MNA, MGB's highest-paid executives received a combined $35.9 million in compensation in fiscal year 2024. Meanwhile, MGB is advertising a Chief Nursing Executive position with a salary range of $750,000 to $950,000 and a Chief Nursing Officer position at Massachusetts General Hospital for approximately $600,000.
"This vote sends a clear message that Brigham nurses are united and prepared to do what is necessary to protect patient care," said Jim McCarthy, RN, a PACU nurse and Vice Chair of the BWH MNA Bargaining Committee. "Nurses are being told there is no money for meaningful wage increases and affordable health insurance, yet MGB paid its top 14 executives $35.9 million in a single year. That tells you everything you need to know about the priorities of this organization."
Despite citing economic pressures from federal Medicaid funding decisions, MGB has reported strong financial performance. According to a STAT News report cited by the MNA, Mass General Brigham (search) reported a $59.2 million operating gain in the fiscal year ending September, a 0.3% margin, compared to a $45.7 million gain in the same period the prior year. Combined with investment gains, the system posted a $2.4 billion net margin, up from $2 billion in net gains the previous year.
Patient Care Service Closures
Beyond compensation, nurses have raised alarms about a pattern of service closures they say reflects MGB's prioritization of system-wide financial strategies over patient care at BWH. These include the closure of the Weiner Center, which moved specialized preoperative services to another facility and disrupted continuity of care for complex patients; the closure of the Brigham Burn Unit, which drew scrutiny from state regulators; and the elimination of the Integrated Care Management Program at BWH, which was consolidated under MGB.
"The decision by MGB executives to close Brigham services directly affect patients and the level of care they receive," said Morgan. "Brigham nurses are speaking out because we know what it takes to deliver this care safely, and we see what's being lost."
Workforce Stability and Patient Safety
Nurses are also seeking limits on the overuse of temporary travel nurses, arguing that stable staffing improves patient outcomes and helps retain experienced bedside nurses. Brigham nurses care for some of the most medically complex patients in the region, and the union contends that failure to recruit and retain experienced nurses threatens patient safety and quality of care.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association (search), founded in 1903, is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, representing 26,000 members. BWH is the largest single nurse union bargaining unit in the state.