BOSTON – November 01, 2026 -- More than 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital will begin an open-ended strike at 7 a.m. on November 12 after rejecting Mass General Brigham's (MGB) "last, best, and final" contract offer. The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), which represents the nurses, describes the action as the largest open-ended strike in Massachusetts history.
The Brigham MNA Bargaining Committee issued the 10-day strike notice on Sunday, November 1. Members voted to reject the offer on October 23. Talks with MGB resume on November 9, three days before the strike deadline.
"We are ready to strike but are equally prepared to negotiate a fair contract," said Kelly Morgan, RN, a labor and delivery nurse and chair of the bargaining committee.
Nurses demand limits on temporary staff, a float differential and insurance choice
The union's contract priorities include:
- Limits on temporary nurses, which the union says protect continuity of patient care.
- A float differential to reduce how often nurses are moved between patient assignments.
- Insurance choice for nurses.
- A wage scale competitive for both new and experienced nurses, aimed at recruitment and retention.
MNA targets MGB's $2.3 billion in profits and $2 billion expansion
The union says MGB is the most profitable hospital system in the Commonwealth, with profits above $2.3 billion. It argues the system is spending on buildings rather than nursing staff. On October 1, MGB signed a 100,000-square-foot lease in Somerville to consolidate its pathology services. The system is also spending nearly $2 billion on expansion at Mass General Hospital, according to the union.
Jim McCarthy, RN, a PACU nurse and vice chair of the bargaining committee, questioned why a non-profit system would spend millions on another strike instead of patient care.
Union asks Massachusetts Attorney General to examine MGB's non-profit status
The Boston Globe reported on October 6 that a national law firm hired by the MNA had sent a letter to the Massachusetts Attorney General. The letter calls for an investigation into MGB's non-profit status, citing potential conflicts of interest among board members and excessive CEO compensation. The MNA says it will keep pressing for scrutiny of MGB's market power, wealth and board conflicts alongside its members across the MGB system.