BOSTON (WHDH) - Thousands of nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital were locked out of the facility when reporting to work Thursday.
Nurses continued their strike overnight, ending at 7 a.m. on Thursday morning. Union members were not allowed back into the hospital and expect to be locked out for the next 4 days.
The hospital is obligated to offer temporary nurses 5 straight days of work, which began on Wednesday.
Representatives from both the nurses and the hospital met with Governor Maura Healey in her office Wednesday.
Healey released a statement after the meeting, saying in part: “I emphasized the urgency of this situation, and the need to resolve this dispute as soon as possible”.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association said the whole point of the work stoppage, the largest nursing strike in state history, is to force Mass General Brigham, the state’s largest healthcare system, back to the bargaining table.
The union said the strike is centered on disagreements over wages and insurance costs.
“All we’re asking for is fair pay,” said registered nurse Brian Simon. “We know inflation has gone up a lot and we haven’t got any raises. All we’re looking for is cost of living. That’s it.”
The hospital is offering its regular 5% raise, saying: “The MNA’s current proposal would add an additional $128 million in nursing labor costs, […] illustrating the significant financial impact of the proposal on the hospital’s overall operating budget.”
Administrators admitted that the union faces a modest increase in health insurance costs, but said its nurses are among the highest-paid in the market.
A hospital spokesperson said 1,300 temporary nurses have received extensive training and are in place.
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