Faulkner Hospital nurses may strike if new contract is not reached, union says

BOSTON — Approximately 500 registered nurses at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital may strike if a new contract is not reached, union officials said.

It’s unclear when a strike could happen, but the deadline for a new contract is Monday. Faulkner Hospital in Boston is part of the Mass General Brigham system.

Faulkner nurses voted on July 25 to authorize a potential one-day strike. Issues at hand include unsafe staffing and patient safety issues and wage parity. Nurses at Faulkner Hospital “currently make significantly less than nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital,” according to the nurses union.

“After months of negotiations, MGB would not provide Faulkner nurses wage parity with Brigham and Women’s Hospital nurses, and thereby failed to address longstanding unsafe staffing and patient safety issues,” the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the union representing the nurses, said in a statement.

If scheduled, the one-day strike date will be announced to the public once the hospital has been given the 10-day notice required by law, according to the union. Faulkner nurses would then plan to hold a 24-hour strike unless Faulkner agreed to a fair contract by that strike date.

“Faulkner nurses have waited far too long for the respect and safe patient care conditions they deserve,” Dan Rec, a Faulkner RN and co-chair of the MNA Bargaining Committee, said in a statement. “We are seeking to halt the negative pattern of Faulkner nurses receiving non-competitive pay, leading to understaffing, danger, and stress.”

In a statement, a Mass General Brigham spokesperson said, “We have been negotiating with the union since the fall of 2023 and have participated in 12 sessions with the Massachusetts Nursing Association to date, along with a federal mediator during our last session. We have made progress, including offering a considerable increase in wages for our nurses.”

“Our focus remains on supporting our nurses during the negotiation process while providing high-quality, safe care for our patients. If a strike does take place, we are positioned to provide the care our patients expect,” the Mass General Brigham spokesperson said.

Regarding wage parity, the Mass General Brigham spokesperson said, “Within Mass General Brigham, we are fortunate to have both academic medical centers and community hospitals. Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital is licensed as a community hospital, with lower reimbursements from the insurance carriers and less specialized care offerings. The nursing salary scales reflect these differences. Regardless of site of care, all of nurses provide compassionate, high-quality care. We are committed to staff recruitment and retention in support of safe patient care, which is our top priority.”

“We deeply value the contributions of our nurses in meeting the needs of our patients and their loved ones and continue to negotiate in good faith,” the hospital spokesperson said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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