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. A spokesperson for MGB said that is not true, and they would return to negotiations if the MNA agrees to.
No additional talks are currently planned before the potential strike, which is set to begin at 7 a.m. Thursday.
The two sides spent 15 hours negotiating Monday, but an agreement was not reached.
The hospital said it has moved on a majority of the union’s priorities, including staffing, scheduling, health insurance, and wages. However, 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 an annual base pay increase from $86,700 to $95,700, while a mid-level staff nurse would see a pay increase from more than $147,000 to $161,000.
An experienced registered nurse at the top step would see an 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 during a one-day strike, which turned into a 4-day lockout.
Mass General Brigham said it is fully prepared to continue caring for patients and has agency nurses preparing for a potential walkout.
The uncertainty has concerned 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, but she’s worried about what Thursday could bring.
“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.
MGB has said it will have agency nurses continuing care for patients during a potential strike.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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