BOSTON — More than 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital could walk off the job Thursday as the hospital and nurses union remain without a deal.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association said Wednesday morning it has requested to return to negotiations, but Mass General Brigham has refused.
No additional talks are currently planned before the potential strike, which is set to begin at 7 a.m. Thursday.
The two sides spent about 15 hours negotiating Monday but did not reach an agreement.
The hospital says it has moved on a majority of the union’s priorities, including staffing, scheduling, health insurance, and wages. But after 28 negotiating sessions over the last year, pay remains a major sticking point.
Under the hospital’s latest, best and final offer, a new graduate staff nurse would see annual base pay increase from $86,700 to $95,700, while a mid-level staff nurse would see pay rise from more than $147,000 to $161,000.
An experienced registered nurse at the top step would see annual base pay increase from $220,000 to $230,880 over the proposed two-year contract.
The contract in question is the same one that nurses walked off the job for back in July for a one-day strike, which turned into a 4-day lockout.
Mass General Brigham says it is fully prepared to continue caring for patients and has agency nurses preparing for a potential walkout.
The uncertainty is concerning some patients and their families.
Penny Aicardi said her mother has been hospitalized since October with lymphoma and that the nurses caring for her have come to feel like family.
“I can’t be there every moment of every day, so I rely on them,” Aicardi said. “I am scared of the consistency of care that she’ll have.”
If the two sides do not reach an agreement, the strike is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Thursday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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