Brigham and Women’s Hospital nurses reached a tentative contract agreement with Mass General Brigham on Wednesday, November 11, successfully averting an open-ended strike that was set to begin on November 12.
The deal, which impacts more than 4,000 registered nurses represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, concludes months of tense negotiations. By securing this agreement, the bargaining committee avoided disrupting patient care in Boston, Massachusetts.
Hospital Reduces Reliance on Temporary Staff and Adds Float Pool Positions
A central pillar of the new agreement is the commitment to minimize the hospital’s reliance on temporary staff. The Massachusetts Nurses Association reported that the hospital has officially agreed that it does not intend to replace permanent nurses with temporary hires.
To facilitate this, Brigham and Women’s Hospital will post 20 new 36-hour float pool positions, a move designed to stabilize unit staffing and keep nurses within their specialized areas of expertise.
The contract introduces a new mechanism to ensure transparency: a joint Staffing and Resources Committee. This group will review data on how often nurses are “floated” between units and will monitor the utilization of temporary staff. Management must now provide a formal rationale to the union whenever more than 15% of the full-time equivalent positions in any unit are covered by temporary workers.
“I’m incredibly proud of the Brigham nurses who stood strong to protect the world-class patient care we provide,” said Kelly Morgan, RN, a labor and delivery nurse and Chair of the BWH MNA Bargaining Committee. “By standing together, we protected patients and the future of union nursing care at the Brigham.”
Wage Increases and Benefit Protections
The ratified agreement includes a structured wage progression extending through September 30, 2028. Effective November 15, 2026, a new top step will be added to the pay scale, set 2.5% above the current step 21. A subsequent increase of 2.5% above step 22 is scheduled for September 30, 2027. All nurses currently below the top step will receive a $1,000 bonus upon ratification, pro-rated based on their hours.
Health insurance, a major point of contention during the bargaining process, saw a negotiated compromise. Current nurses will retain premium-free coverage if they work 40 hours, while newly hired nurses on 40-hour schedules will contribute 2.5% toward their premiums. The agreement also includes provisions for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to secure dedicated practice management time, addressing concerns that these professionals were previously pressured to chart without compensation.
The Path to Settlement
The eleventh-hour deal followed several labor actions. Brigham nurses held a one-day strike on July 8, followed by a four-day lockout. Tensions escalated on September 24 when the nurses voted overwhelmingly to authorize an open-ended strike. After the union rejected a “last, best, and final” offer from Mass General Brigham on October 22 and 23, the threat of a walkout remained the primary pressure point until the final agreement was reached.
“Our collective power as union nurses has made it possible to support and advocate for our patients while securing this tentative agreement,” said Jim McCarthy, RN, a PACU nurse and Vice Chair of the BWH MNA Bargaining Committee. The committee has recommended that the membership vote to ratify the contract, changing the hospital's labor relations.
While the focus in Boston remained on the nursing contract, other regional labor developments occurred on November 10, when the Lowell City Council unanimously approved a tax increment financing agreement for the Draper IMPACT Center. The project, which involves local trade unions, shows how union negotiations and regional economic development intersect across the Commonwealth, according to the Lowell Sun.
For now, the focus at Brigham and Women’s Hospital turns to the ratification vote, ensuring that the labor peace achieved this week translates into long-term stability for the hospital’s nursing workforce and its patients.
