Approximately 4,000 union nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston were barred from returning to work Thursday morning following a 24-hour strike. Despite ending their planned one-day walkout, the nurses are now facing a four-day lockout, which hospital management states is necessary due to the five-day contracts signed with 1,300 replacement clinicians.
Mass General Brigham (MGB), the hospital’s parent organization, maintains that the facility remains fully operational. MGB stated that the replacement staff are providing safe, high-quality care equivalent to standard performance. However, union leaders expressed frustration, noting that nurses were ready to return to their patients immediately. Lead union negotiator Kelly Morgan described the lockout as “demoralizing” for staff seeking to resume their duties.
The labor dispute centers on contract negotiations, specifically base salary increases amidst rising cost-of-living pressures in Boston. While MGB contends that nurses currently receive competitive pay and seniority-based raises, the union argues that recent offers failed to meet their demands. Mediation efforts involving Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey have not yet yielded an agreement.
Tensions escalated Thursday morning following a disagreement over the handling of a medical emergency outside the hospital. The union alleged a delay in the hospital’s response, while MGB asserted that the union’s intervention interfered with established emergency protocols, potentially creating unnecessary risk. The lockout is scheduled to conclude on Monday, July 13, at 7 a.m.