The clock is ticking toward a possible indefinite strike involving approximately 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Marathon contract negotiations ended without an agreement, leaving nurses poised to walk off the job at 7 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, if they don’t reach a deal.
Happening now, the clock is ticking, just two days until
a possible nurses strike at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Overnight, the nurses union announced that they have remained
at a standstill after hours of negotiating yesterday.
So the question is, can the two sides strike a deal before Thursday?
Boston 25 News reporter Kelly Sullivan joining us live now outside
of the Brigham and Women's this morning
with a statement from the nurses union from overnight. Kelly.
So you talked about the nurses union spending hours negotiating.
They said they negotiated from 9 a.m. until midnight yesterday,
still did not come to a resolution.
However, they say they are ready to get back to the bargaining table
and resume those negotiations to try and avoid.
A strike on Thursday.
Now, Mass General Brigham, it says
its latest offer includes wage increases and competitive benefits.
The state's largest private employer says it has
extensive contingency plans to keep the hospital open
should nurses go on strike, including using replacement nurses.
That is what the hospital had to do back in July
when nurses walked off the job.
It was intended to be a one-day strike,
but they were locked out for another four days.
Nurses tell us that if this happens again,
they are concerned about the care for their patients.
Every patient is here because they require round-the-clock nursing care
and we take that responsibility very seriously and we deserve
to be treated fairly for it. We're very committed to our patients.
That's where we want to be. We do not want to be out on the sidewalk.
Mass General Brigham's latest statement says it
is committed to reaching an agreement that
supports our nurses and also protects our ability
to sustain our mission, invest in all members of
our patient care teams and staff,
and continue serving the patients and the community who depend
on us now and into the future.
And so again, as I mentioned, the nurses union says they are ready
to negotiate again, get back at the table there
and talk to the hospital. However, if a deal is
not reached, they will start a strike Thursday at 7 a.m.
Reporting live from Brigham and
Women's Hospital, Kelly Sullivan for
your local station Boston 25 news.
