The dispute has the potential to disrupt care and expose discord at one of the state’s most prominent and highly rated hospitals. MGB representatives said that they have lined up temporary nurses and that patient care should not be affected.
Both sides are particularly far apart on wages. The union wants a 3 percent raise for the first six months and a 4 percent raise for the next 12 months of the contract. The hospital isn’t offering any new across-the-board raise. Management points out nurses already receive a 5 percent raise on the yearly anniversary of their hiring — a so-called step increase — until they reach two decades of service, which helps make Brigham nurses among the highest paid in the state.
For health insurance, management wants nurses who are enrolled in Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan, which is more than half of the membership, to pay 2.5 percentage points more of their monthly premium.
Governor Maura Healey convened representatives from MGB and the nurses association on Monday to discuss the demands of each side. No additional bargaining sessions were held Tuesday.
Jennifer DeVincent, a nurse in the labor and delivery unit at Brigham and a union representative, said the hospital is “shelling out money to hire these scab nurses” but won’t provide cost-of-living increases and wants unionized nurses to pay more for their health insurance.
Brigham ”is paying for flights, hotels, food” for replacement workers, she said. “It’s just crazy.”
MGB spokesperson Jessica Pastore said in a statement that ensuring safe patient care during a strike requires significant preparedness and resources.
“Those costs are real, but they are temporary and directly tied to a defined work stoppage period,” Pastore said. “That is very different from agreeing to an above-market wage adjustment that becomes part of the permanent cost structure and compounds year after year.”
The labor strife at MGB doesn’t end there. A newly formed union chapter of home care workers also plans to walk out on Wednesday for a strike scheduled to last seven days. The chapter represents about 450 nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, social workers, and dietitians.
In a letter to the MGB board of directors released Monday, union leaders said the board and hospital executives are responsible for the larger threatened strike, which would be the first ever by Brigham nurses.
“Your decision is not based on financial necessity. It is a choice,” the July 3 letter said. “You have chosen executive compensation instead of investing in the permanent nursing workforce.”
Brigham nurses start at $86,700 annually, and those with two decades of service earn at least $220,000, according to documents shared by MGB. Nearly one-third of the union, or 1,322 nurses, earn that maximum amount, MGB said.
Management contends some Brigham nurses make more than some doctors.
Joe Markman, a spokesman for the union, responded, “If they are making more than doctors, [Brigham] should pay their doctors more.”
The union said nurses are struggling while 14 current and former MGB executives received a combined $35.9 million in compensation in fiscal 2024. Those include chief executive Dr. Anne Klibanski, who earned $8.4 million in that year, and chief operating officer Dr. Ron Walls, who earned $3.2 million.
In a response to the union that was obtained by the Globe, MGB board chair Scott Sperling said the board remains committed to reaching an agreement with the union.
“We continue to believe that the best outcome for patients, nurses, and the broader community is one achieved through continued negotiations and without a work stoppage,” Sperling wrote. “The decision regarding whether to proceed with a strike rests with the MNA and its membership, and we sincerely hope that path can be avoided.”
Pastore, the MGB spokesperson, said the across-the-board increases requested by the union would cost the hospital $128 million over the 18-month contract. The hospital does not yet have an estimate of how much the temporary nurses will cost during the work stoppage, she said.
MGB has said the union is misleading the public by omitting that Brigham nurses receive the automatic 5 percent step increase every year.
“A 5 percent yearly raise is not 0 percent,” says one of several charts that Brigham distributed to the Globe a few weeks ago.
A nurse walked through a hallway at Mass General Brigham’s Newton-Wellesley Hospital in May.John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
The 4,000 nurses at the Brigham represent about 18 percent of the hospital’s workforce but account for more than 40 percent of its annual labor costs when adding up base pay, per-diem hours, overtime pay, and differential pay for working less-desirable shifts, according to MGB.
Christopher Friese, a professor of nursing at the University of Michigan, said Brigham nurses are “paid very well” but handle medical cases that nurses at other hospitals don’t “because the care at the Brigham is among the most complex delivered in the state.”
“Nurses at the Brigham are highly expert and are delivering care that’s highly complex, and they’re doing it in a city with rising expenses,” said Friese, “I think that’s why the nurses are probably asking for these adjustments.”
MGB began orientation for the nearly 1,300 replacement nurses over the weekend, Pastore said, and the group includes nurses specialized to work in high-acuity settings such as neonatal intensive care.
Pastore predicted that disruptions to care will be minimal, although some appointments may be rescheduled or moved to another MGB location. Patients with appointments with Brigham nurse practitioners at MGB health care centers may have to reschedule their visits or choose to see another clinician.
There are no across-the-board cancellations of elective procedures, Pastore said, adding that only a small number of procedures may be affected and the hospital will contact patients directly with details.
Additionally, MGB informed a handful of nurses scheduled to work Thursday’s FIFA World Cup game at Gillette Stadium that they will not be allowed to work those shifts, regardless of whether the strike happens. The Brigham will staff the game with other, nonstriking Brigham clinicians to meet contractual obligations with FIFA.
Amid the MGB Home Care strike, some ancillary services, including dietitian and speech language therapy appointments, will be paused.
Despite plans to minimize impacts to patient care, some patients expressed concern about the replacement nurses. Charlotte Dobbs’s identical twin girls have been in Brigham’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit since June 12, when they were born seven weeks prematurely. The care provided by seasoned nurses has been extraordinary, said Dobbs, 42, who is a chief of staff for a small technology company.
Just Sunday, a nurse with 40 years of experience knew that one of the twins’ heart rates was going to drop — a common symptom among preemies — by reading subtle cues in the baby’s behavior.
“An experienced NICU nurse is worth their weight in gold,” said Dobbs, who is sympathetic to the nurses’ contract demands.
“I’m not privy to the Brigham’s financial situation, but from my perspective as a parent, the workforce they have is tremendously valuable,” she added. “These aren’t interchangeable people who can be swapped out with other people.”
The Brigham nurses and MGB Home Care unions aren’t alone in their conflict over contracts. Last week, nurses at the UMass Memorial Medical Center’s University Campus in Worcester authorized a 14-day strike over concerns about staffing shortages and workplace safety. That union has not yet set a strike date.
The Globe wants to hear from Brigham staff, patients, and others affected by the strike. Please email Marin Wolf at [email protected] and/or Jonathan Saltzman at [email protected].
Marin Wolf can be reached at [email protected]. Jonathan Saltzman can be reached at [email protected].
