Agreement reached to avert historic nurses strike at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston

Brigham and Women's Hospital nurses in Boston reached a tentative contract agreement late Wednesday night to avert a historic strike that was scheduled to begin Thursday morning. 

More than 4,000 nurses were set to walk off the job in what would have been the largest open-ended nurses strike in state history. The hospital and the nurses union were battling over wages, healthcare benefits and how to address staffing shortages.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association said the tentative contract agreement with Mass General Brigham addresses the nurses' central priorities.

"I'm incredibly proud of the Brigham nurses who stood strong to protect the world-class patient care we provide," said Kelly Morgan, a labor and delivery nurse and chair of the BWH MNA bargaining committee. "We secured this agreement with the help of countless community members, patients, unions and elected officials who supported us for many months. By standing together, we protected patients and the future of union nursing care at the Brigham." 

Brigham and Women's Hospital was making "large-scale preparations" for the possible strike as both sides went to the bargaining table for last-minute negotiations. The strike was set to begin at 7 a.m. Thursday. 

Brigham and Women's Hospital said the agreement remains subject to ratification by nurses in the bargaining unit, which the MNA has indicated it will support.

"We deeply value our Brigham nurses and believe this agreement recognizes their important contributions while supporting the long-term sustainability of our hospital and our ability to care for our patients and communities," the hospital said in a statement Wednesday night. 

The open-ended strike was initially scheduled to start in mid-October, but postponed so the union could consider the Brigham's "final offer." Nurses voted to reject it on Nov. 1 and set a new strike date.

The hospital said the agreement was reached "within the financial limits of the hospital's last, best and final offer presented on Oct. 10."

Back in July, Brigham nurses went on a one-day strike and the hospital locked them out for four additional days due to contractual obligations for temporary replacements. It was the largest healthcare strike in state history at the time.