Contract talks between Brigham and Women's nurses and Mass General Brigham ran more than 15 hours on Nov. 9 and ended without a deal. The union reported some progress and said it was ready to resume bargaining, but no new session had been scheduled as of Nov. 10.
An open-ended strike is set to begin at 7 a.m. Nov. 12. The hospital has started onboarding about 800 agency nurses and says it will keep providing care if the walkout happens. About 4,000 nurses are in the bargaining unit.
Why it matters
A 4,000-nurse walkout at Boston's second-largest hospital could disrupt care for the region's sickest patients.
Get next Monday's: one short email a week. Free. Unsubscribe in one click.
Questions about this story
Free account needed to ask — your question is kept and asked for you right after sign-up. Answers are public.
No questions yet — be the first to ask.
Key Indicators
2,986
Nurses backing open-ended strike
93% of voting nurses backed the Sept. 24 authorization; 215 opposed. The union announced a Nov. 12 walkout after members rejected the contract.
Rejected
Final offer vote
Nurses voted down MGB's "last, best and final" offer on Oct. 23 after two days of voting. The union does not release vote totals for ratification votes.
10 days
Notice needed before a strike
The union gave Mass General Brigham a 10-day notice on Nov. 1 for a Nov. 12 strike start.
2.5%
New top-step raise in rejected offer
The rejected offer would have added two 2.5% wage-ceiling increases over two years for the most tenured nurses, on top of existing 5% step raises, in a contract running through Sept. 30, 2028.
99.6%
June strike authorization margin
2,798 yes votes to 12 no; it held the record until September's 2,986-vote authorization.
5 days
Total July work stoppage
A one-day strike on July 8 plus a four-day lockout imposed by the hospital.
$35.9M
MGB top-14 executive pay, fiscal 2024
The union cites this figure as evidence the system can afford the raises it refuses to offer.
$220,000
Top-step Brigham nurse pay at 20 years
MGB says full-time nurses start at $86,700 and those with 20 years earn at least $220,000; the union says most work 36 hours or less and earn less.
301 days
Saint Vincent Hospital strike length
The last indefinite Massachusetts nurse strike ran 301 days before a deal.
$90M
Annual cost of union wage demand, per MGB
MGB says the raise package would add $90 million a year plus an $11.2 million ratification bonus, pushing Brigham nursing labor costs near $1 billion.
$2.3B
MGB total margin, latest state data
State figures show MGB as Massachusetts' most profitable hospital system; the union cites the margin as proof it can afford raises.
Nov. 12
Scheduled strike date
Open-ended walkout set to begin at 7 a.m. Nov. 12 after more than 15 hours of talks Nov. 9 ended without a deal.
4,000
Nurses in bargaining unit
About 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women's are covered by the contract.
800
Agency nurses being onboarded
Brigham began onboarding about 400 agency nurses Nov. 10 and planned another 400 the next day, the hospital said.
13 events
Latest: Yesterday
Showing 8 of 13
JK to step
Tap a bar to jump to that date
Jump to
November 2026
Hospital onboards agency nurses as strike nears
LatestPreparation
Brigham began onboarding about 400 agency nurses, with another 400 due the next day, the hospital said. Management said it remained open to talks and was prepared to keep care running during an indefinite strike.
Marathon bargaining session ends without a deal
Negotiation
The 28th bargaining session began at 9 a.m. and ran past midnight without an agreement. The union reported some progress and said it was ready to resume talks before the strike; no new session was scheduled for the next day.
Brigham nurses and supporters leafleted outside two businesses connected to Mass General Brigham board members, urging the system to settle a contract before the Nov. 12 strike.
Nurses schedule open-ended strike for Nov. 12
Strike
The Massachusetts Nurses Association announced an open-ended strike starting Nov. 12 and gave the hospital a 10-day notice. A federal mediator was set to assist talks on Nov. 9; the hospital said it was prepared to keep care running.
October 2026
Hospital declines to comment on restarting talks
Statement
Asked about the nurses' union request to resume contract negotiations, Brigham and Women's declined to comment, the State House News Service reported. No new bargaining session has been scheduled.
Nurses reject hospital's final contract offer
Vote
Brigham nurses voted down Mass General Brigham's "last, best and final" offer over two days of voting, with the union announcing the result Friday evening. The offer would have added two 2.5% steps to the top of every pay scale through 2028, kept health insurance contribution rates flat and added 20 float pool nurses; the union said it lacked across-the-board raises to cover inflation. The bargaining committee is pressing to return to the table.
Hospital's final offer adds top-step raises for veteran nurses
Negotiation
MGB's "best and final" offer, presented after a 13-hour session, runs through Sept. 30, 2028 and adds two 2.5% wage-ceiling increases for the most tenured nurses on top of the existing 5% step raises. The union said the deal lacked cost-of-living raises; members voted it down on Oct. 23.
September 2026
Nurses authorize open-ended strike
Vote
Brigham nurses vote 2,986 to 215 (93%) to authorize an indefinite strike, the largest strike-authorization vote in Massachusetts history, the union says. No date is set; the union must give 10 days' notice.
Governor pressures hospital, impasse declared
Statement
WBUR reports negotiations stalled; MGB declares impasse and Gov. Healey urges the hospital to resume talks.
July 2026
Hospital locks out nurses
Lockout
MGB locks nurses out for four days, citing the need to give temporary workers five days of work.
One-day nurses strike
Strike
Brigham nurses walk off for a day over wages and benefits; the hospital brings in temporary nurses.
June 2026
Record strike authorization vote
Vote
Nurses vote 99.6% (2,798 to 12) to authorize a one-day strike, the largest nurse strike vote in Massachusetts history.
November 2025
Contract negotiations begin
Negotiation
Brigham nurses and Mass General Brigham open talks on a new contract for roughly 4,000 registered nurses.
Scenarios
1
Brigham Nurses Walk Out Indefinitely
Likely
Resolves by End of 2026
Discussed by: Massachusetts Nurses Association bargaining committee
The union has scheduled an open-ended strike for Nov. 12, three days after negotiations resume. If no deal is reached, roughly 4,000 nurses walk out; the hospital brings in agency nurses and the strike drags on.
2
MGB Concedes, Nurses Ratify Contract
Possible
Resolves by End of 2026
Discussed by: WBUR health reporter Priyanka Dayal McCluskey
Facing the prospect of an indefinite shutdown and pressure from Gov. Healey, MGB returns with an across-the-board raise for nurses below the top step and a health-insurance choice concession. Union members ratify, and the strike is never called.
3
Healey Brokers a Mediated Compromise
Possible
Resolves by Q1 2027
Discussed by: Governor Maura Healey's office
The governor convenes formal mediation; both sides compromise on a smaller raise and a phased insurance change. The strike is avoided, but the fight extends into 2027 and the contract is settled without either side fully getting its way.
4
Nurses Reject Final Offer, Strike Returns
Possible
Resolves by End of 2026
Discussed by: Massachusetts Nurses Association bargaining committee
If members vote down the contract, the union must file a new 10-day strike notice. The September authorization passed 93%, and the union already held one strike this year, so a walkout remains possible if the offer fails.
5
Union Files a Second 10-Day Strike Notice
Possible
Resolves by Nov 30, 2026
Discussed by: Massachusetts Nurses Association bargaining committee
The union announced a Nov. 12 strike start after members rejected the final offer. A 10-day notice is required before any walkout; the September authorization remains in force.
Historical Context
2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
1 of 2
October 2023
Kaiser Permanente Strike (2023)
In October 2023, 75,000 Kaiser Permanente health-care workers across five states struck for three days over chronic understaffing and wages, the largest health-care walkout in U.S. history.
Then
Kaiser reached a tentative deal within days; workers later ratified a four-year contract with raises totaling 21%.
Now
The settlement showed large health systems will accept substantial wage increases once staffing complaints become a public walkout.
Why this matters now
Mirrors the Boston dispute: staffing and pay grievances escalating to a strike that ends in wage concessions.
2 of 2
2016
University of Chicago Medical Center Lockout (2016)
Nearly 700 nurses at the University of Chicago Medical Center went on a one-day strike in 2016 over wages and staffing. The hospital locked them out afterward and hired temporary nurses.
Then
The nurses returned and the two sides eventually reached a new contract.
Now
The one-day-strike-then-lockout pattern gave employers leverage; unions responded by planning longer, open-ended strikes.
Why this matters now
Brigham used the identical tactic in July 2026: a one-day strike met with a four-day lockout.
