Nurse contract talks will restart after ‘final' offer from MGB was rejected

Brigham and Women’s Hospital nurses and Mass General Brigham officials will resume stalled contract negotiations in a little over a week, the health care system said Friday as the possibility of a protracted strike still hovers over the city.

Brigham nurses, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, last week rejected what MGB described as its “last, best and final” contract offer and requested the parties resume collective bargaining talks.

Union reps and MGB will now return to the bargaining table with a federal mediator on Nov. 9, MGB spokesperson Kelly Mitchell told the State House News Service. The parties have been unable to resolve their contract stalemate for months, and 4,000 nurses walked off the job in July for a one-day strike that turned into a five-day work stoppage.

“The Brigham nurses’ voices were heard when they rejected MGB’s last offer,” MNA spokesperson Joe Markman told the News Service Friday. “We are urging MGB to negotiate in good faith on the 9th to reach an agreement that meets the needs of nurses and patients.”

Brigham nurses were prepared to go on strike starting on Oct. 14, but gave members a chance to vote on MGB’s “final” offer. The proposal incorporated the hospital’s existing wage scale, with annual 5% step increases until nurses reach 20 years of service, as well as two new 2.5% top steps. The MNA said the offer left out a demand for cost-of-living increases.

If they opt for another strike, the union must file a new 10-day notice before going on strike.

Nearly 2,000 nurses at Boston Medical Center ratified a three-year contract earlier this month and averted a strike.