'Don't want to be out here': 4,000 Mass. nurses walk off the job over contract dispute

happening now. The largest nurses strike in Massachusetts history. Thousands of nurses in their scrubs walked off the job today. Nurses are in full strike mode now until seven o'clock tomorrow morning, but the impacts will likely be felt for days. Boston 25 News reporter Mel Hill is live outside the hospital of Mel. Both sides meeting right now at the State House. That's right, killed in the last hour. I spoke with a union rep who told me that Governor Maura Healy called the union and the hospital system to the State House for a meeting happening right now at four o'clock, so we'll have to wait and see what comes out of that. But right now, right here, outside of the hospital, you can see thousands of nurses are here on the picket line, marking the state's largest nurse strike in history. While some 4000 nurses are here striking, the hospital says about 1300 replacement nurses have been trained and are continuing patient care. 4000 Brigham and Women's nurses hit the picket line on Wednesday for a one day strike after their union and the hospital system were unable to come to an agreement on a new contract. We don't want to be out here. I have a patient that was inside. I was finding out he's having an emergency and I can't stop thinking about him. Like, I don't want to be out here. I want to be in there. Nurses are asking for pay that they say will account for the rise in cost of living. 4000 United 4000 nurses refusing to be silent. Remember that here are voices. Brigham and Women's says nurses receive an annual 5% step increase on wages for 20 years worked and then a 2.5% increase for the years following. Back in October, they also received a one time 3% across the board increase. Still, though, nurses say they just want to feel respected. It's about how they've corporatized this whole system in here. I've been at the Brigham for over 34 years and seen so many changes services being cut. It's so disheartening to me. Nurses voted to authorize a one day strike, but temp nurses have to work a minimum of five days, which is why Brigham nurses won't be allowed back in the hospital until Monday. We're scared of the condition that the hospital is going to be in. I think it's unnecessary that we voted for one day and now we're kept out of the hospital for five. That's probably the worst thing that could be happening for the patients. The hospital wrote in a statement in per quote, nearly 1300 nurses have received extensive orientation and are being integrated into existing care teams with support from Brigham clinical and operational leaders who have an increased presence on units, including during key transition and handoff periods back out here live now at the strike, which started at seven this morning. It will last until seven tomorrow morning. But again, Brigham nurses won't be back at the bedside until Monday. Still, though, nurses say they're going to try and report to work tomorrow anyway. If an agreement is not met on scene in Boston, I'm gonna help your local station. Boston 25 News.