BOSTON — A last-ditch effort to avoid a nurse’s strike at Brigham and Women’s Hospital was underway Monday.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association and Mass General Brigham were scheduled to meet for another round of contract negotiations. If they can’t reach a deal, more than 4,000 nurses could walk off the job Thursday morning.
Kristen Robishaw has been a Brigham and Women’s nurse for 28 years, a job she says she loves. However, the ongoing contract negotiations for nurses have been a dispute that has been playing out for months. Though, Robishaw says this fight is about more than a paycheck.
“No nurse ever wants to go on strike,” Robishaw said. “This is about protecting what we’ve worked for, for the last 60+ years.”
In July, nurses walked off the job for a one-day strike. Though, when they showed up the next morning ready to return, they were turned away and locked out for four more days.
Now, with another walkout looming, families with loved ones at the Brigham are worried about what comes next, including Lynne Smith, whose husband is currently in the hospital for cardiac care.
“He’s concerned about the strike. What’s going to happen because he’s had these amazing nurses and what’s going to happen, if they go on strike, with the new nurses,” Smith said.
Ryan Hood said he feels the same way with his wife also being in the hospital. He said patients grow a bond with the team that takes care of them, which is something he says he experienced himself during his 46-day hospital stay at the Brigham a couple years back.
“The familiarity is what helped me get through that. I really feel bad for the patients that are not going to see that level of care,” Hood said.
Mass General Brigham says its latest offer includes wage increases and competitive wages. The hospital also says it has extensive contingency plans to keep the hospital open and providing safe care, including using replacement nurses.
Though Brigham nurses feel it’s not the same.
“They’ve never worked in this environment before. They’ve never taken care of this level of patient before, so it is disaster waiting to happen, and I shudder at the thought of what might actually go on behind those doors,” Robishaw said.
The two sides are back at the bargaining table on Monday. If they can’t reach an agreement, the union says it’s prepared to strike indefinitely beginning Thursday at 7 a.m.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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