The 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have approved a new labor contract.
The vote, held Sept. 10, finalizes an initial agreement reached Aug. 8 by nurses and BWH, following an overwhelming strike authorization vote on July 24, according to a news release from the Massachusetts Nurses Association. With the tentative deal reached in August, a potential strike was averted.
"We are extremely proud of Brigham nurses for fighting together to win such a strong contract and help protect our patients," Kelly Morgan, a Brigham labor and delivery nurse and BWH MNA chair, said in the release. "Through our union contract, we were able to secure significant investment to help with recruitment and retention, and improve patient care conditions."
The agreement includes a 20% to 30% wage increase over two and a half years, depending on where nurses are on the BWH MNA wage scale, according to the union. It also allows for nurses to switch between MGB and MNA health insurance and increases to several pay differentials. Additionally, the contract includes various workplace violence prevention measures, such as the designation of a senior manager responsible for supporting employee victims of workplace violence.
BWH shared the following statement with Becker's: "We are so pleased to have come to an agreement with the Massachusetts Nursing Association on a new contract that recognizes the tremendous care our nurses provide each and every day to our patients and their families and reflects important agreements on issues critical to all of us, particularly in the area of workplace safety."
MNA members at Boston-based Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital also voted in July to authorize a one-day strike, but as of Sept. 10, none had been scheduled. The union represents a combined 4,500 nurses at BWH and Faulkner.