BOSTON. About 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have voted to reject the hospital’s “best and final” contract offer. The dispute with Mass General Brigham, one of the biggest nurse contract fights in the US this year, is still unresolved.
What the hospital offered
- No across-the-board cost-of-living raise.
- Two 2.5% raises, but only for nurses at the top step of the pay scale, the most experienced.
- Changes on health insurance, which is one of the union’s priorities.
- A contract running to September 2028.
The offer was made on 10 October after 27 bargaining sessions. Nurses voted on 23–24 October and a majority rejected it. The Massachusetts Nurses Association does not publish exact tallies.
What happens next
- The union’s bargaining committee wants to go back to the table, and is meeting this week to decide next steps.
- The strike authorisation is still active. Nurses voted for it in September by 2,986 to 215. Any new strike needs 10 days’ notice.
- An open-ended strike planned for 14 October was postponed so nurses could vote on this offer.
The hospital said it was disappointed. It said its offer reflects “long-term sustainability” and pay “among the highest in the market”, and that it is ready to keep services running. In July, nurses held a one-day strike, after which the hospital locked them out for four more days, citing its contracts with replacement nurses.
Why it matters beyond Boston
Hospitals across the US are pushing for raises limited to experienced staff while nurses demand cost-of-living increases. Lockouts after short strikes, like Brigham’s in July, are also becoming more common. Our US nursing coverage tracks every major dispute, along with RN pay by state.
Sources: Boston.com (25 October 2026); WGBH and WBUR (October 2026).