Brigham nurses reach tentative contract deal, averting open-ended strike

The nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have reached a last-minute deal with hospital officials to avoid an open-ended strike planned to kick off Thursday morning.

The tentative agreement means nurses will report to work as usual instead of picketing outside the facility. Hospital officials will not use the hundreds of temporary workers they had hired and begun training to keep the hospital open during the strike.

The deal, which still needs final approval from union members, came late Wednesday night, just hours before the strike was scheduled to begin.

“I’m incredibly proud of the Brigham nurses who stood strong to protect the world-class patient care we provide,” Kelly Morgan, chair of the nurses’ bargaining committee, said in a statement. “By standing together, we protected patients and the future of union nursing care at the Brigham.”

Union leaders said they would recommend their members vote to ratify the agreement.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association represents over 4,000 nurses at the Brigham, one of Boston’s busiest hospitals. The strike, had it occurred, would have been the largest in state history.

Nurses held a one-day strike in July , and were locked out by the hospital for an additional four days. But an open-ended strike could have been much more disruptive.

Hospital officials said they were pleased to have an agreement with the nurses that falls within the limits of their “last, best and final offer.”

“We deeply value our Brigham nurses and believe this agreement recognizes their important contributions while supporting the long-term sustainability of our hospital and our ability to care for our patients and communities,” they said in a statement.

The tentative deal is the latest development in a bitter dispute that had been brewing for a year at the hospital, which is part of the Mass General Brigham system. The union accused hospital officials of spending too much on executive pay while not investing enough in bedside nurses.

Hospital officials argued that nurses are competitively paid, with many experienced nurses earning $220,000 a year.

The new contract covers roughly two years, until Sept. 30, 2028. It includes 2.5% annual increases for the most senior nurses. All other nurses will receive a $1,000 bonus once the contract is in effect.

Additionally, Brigham nurses will continue to receive 5% “step” raises every year for their first 20 years on the job.

The deal includes new staffing provisions, such as limits on the use of temporary workers and limits on “floating” — when a nurse is assigned to different parts of the hospital instead of focusing on a specific unit.

Union leaders said the agreement also buffers the impact of a proposed change to nurses’ Harvard Pilgrim health insurance premiums.

Hospital leaders spent the week preparing for a potential walkout — even as they negotiated a deal to avoid it. They said they held orientations for over 800 temporary nurses hired to keep the hospital open during the strike.

The hospital and the union met for 29 negotiation sessions over a year, ending this week with a marathon 15-hour session Monday, and another 10 hours of talks Wednesday.