Brigham and Women’s Hospital and its nurses have announced a tentative agreement to avoid massive strike. 3,300 nurses were set to go for strike on Monday over contract negotiations, but the nurses union withdrew its notice to strike early on Sunday morning, after the deal was reached.
The representative of the nurses’ union have stated about their satisfaction with the agreement. Trish Powers, RN OR staff nurse and chair of the MNA BWH bargaining unit, said, “This is a huge victory for Brigham patients and the practice of nursing. The ultimate credit for this settlement goes to the 3,300 MNA nurses of Brigham & Women’s Hospital,”
Now hospital and the union both are eager for the operations to return to normal state. The nurses have planned for a walk-in at the entrance of the hospital, set for 6.45 AM on Monday. The agreement is still to be approved by all the nurses, but the vote is not yet scheduled.
Powers said, “I feel like we didn’t compromise, Mayor Marty Walsh got involved he was in contact with us by phone and I believe he was in contact with Betsy Nable," Strike plans had already led the hospital to cancel some patient procedures and appointments scheduled for Monday.
The strike would have been the largest in Massachusetts history and the first in Boston in 30 years.
By Prakriti Neogi
