Brigham Nurses Stage Largest Strike in Mass. History
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- Brigham and Women's Hospital nurses walked off the job Wednesday morning, launching what STAT reports as the largest nurses strike in Massachusetts history.
- The walkout marks the first-ever strike at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a milestone in the hospital's labor history.
- Thousands of nurses and supporters flooded Francis Street near the hospital, shaking cowbells, banging on plastic buckets, and cheering as passing cars honked in solidarity.
- Striking nurses wore "Union Strong" and "Brigham Nurses United" T-shirts while waving signs aimed at management of the state's largest health care system.
- One picket sign read "Value Nurses Like You Value Your Bonu$e$" — a sarcastic jab suggesting nurse pay relative to executive bonuses is a core grievance.
- The dispute targets leadership of the state's largest health care system, underscoring the scale of the institution the union is up against.
Why it matters: The first-ever strike at Brigham and Women's Hospital pulls thousands of nurses from one of Massachusetts' flagship medical centers, creating immediate patient-care strain and putting hospital management on the spot to address the compensation grievances highlighted on the picket signs.
