Boston – October 02, 2026 -- Some 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital will launch an open-ended strike at 7 a.m. on October 14, 2026, in what the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) calls the largest open-ended nurse strike in state history, unless Mass General Brigham (MGB) agrees to a new contract.
Nurses authorized the strike by a record 2,986-to-215 vote on September 24
The tally marks the highest yes-vote total for any nurse strike authorization in Massachusetts history, according to the MNA. The vote came as state data confirmed MGB posted a total margin of $2.3 billion, making it the most profitable hospital system in the Commonwealth for a second consecutive period.
This is a ULP strike, giving nurses stronger legal protection
The Brigham nurses have filed multiple Unfair Labor Practice charges against the hospital since July, including allegations that MGB illegally blocked NICU nurses from joining the July strike, retaliated against strikers by altering schedules, and threatened discipline over union buttons. Under National Labor Relations Board rules, ULP strikes carry greater protections than standard economic strikes.
MGB reported $2.39 billion in profit and $22.8 billion in operating revenue for fiscal 2025
The health system's financial disclosures also show $1.75 billion in investment income and $35.8 billion in total assets. CEO Anne Klibanski's compensation rose 9%, or roughly $800,000, to nearly $9.2 million over the past year.
Nurses say MGB walked away from talks on August 11 after a prior one-day strike and four-day lockout
Following a July 8 one-day strike and MGB's subsequent four-day lockout, nurses held bargaining sessions through July and August. Management ended negotiations on August 11 and has since indicated it will only resume talks if nurses first accept a multi-year pay freeze, according to the union.