Brigham nurses reject Mass General Brigham's contract offer

The nurses of Brigham and Women's Hospital have voted to reject a contract offer from the hospital's parent company, their union said late Friday.

The bargaining committee for the roughly 4,000 Brigham nurses will seek to resume negotiations, the Massachusetts Nurses Association said in a statement. The union had been preparing for a strike until the offer from Mass General Brigham, which the hospital system characterized as its last and best one, came in earlier this month.

"This vote shows the resolve of Brigham nurses, who are fighting for patient safety and for the professional respect we deserve," bargaining committee chair Kelly Morgan, a labor and delivery nurse, said in a statement. "It's tine fir MGB to return to the table ready to negotiate in good faith to reach a fair agreement that recognizes the value of Brigham nurses and the expertise they offer for the care of some of the region’s most complex patients every day."

Brigham and Women's Hospital nurses have postponed their indefinite strike to vote on a contract deal with the hospital.

If the union again decides a strike is necessary, it would need to give the hospital 10 days' notice. The union's statement didn't discuss a new strike, or share the results of the vote. The MNA did say that its membership discussed the offer before the vote, and that they had reached out to MGB to restart negotiations next week.

The hospital shared a statement noting disappointment in the outcome of the vote and reiterating that "our priority and focus remain on providing safe, high-quality patient care."

The proposed offer reflected significant movement on several of the union's priorities, the hospital previously said, including an increase in base salary.

The nurses went on a one-day strike in July over the same issues. It was followed by a four-day lockout by the hospital. The MNA called it the largest nurse and health care strike in state history.

Nurses picketed for a third day Friday as they call for higher pay and safer conditions.

Earlier Friday, Mass General Brigham said it would be laying off employees for the second time in the past two years as the health care system, the largest in Massachusetts, looks to strengthen its long-term financial sustainability.