Brigham and Women’s nurses voting on strike while hospital plans lockout

More than 3,000 members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association will vote June 13 whether or not to continue working at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Boston Globe reports. That strike would last one day and could start any time after June 23, based on a 10-day strike notification agreement.

Even though the Brigham nurses will only vote on a one-day strike, employees at one hospital in the city will be out of work for five days. The hospital said it will hire up to 700 temporary nurses for five days, locking out their regular employees. The lockout is to maintain “continuity of patient care” and for “economic reasons,” hospital officials told the Globe.

The Boston strike vote comes after nine months of contract negotiations between the nurses and the hospital. The nurses want a 4 percent pay increase over 18 months, an 18-month contract period, more time off and more say in coordination of safe patient care. The hospital has offered a 1 percent pay raise over three years and a three-year contract.

“This vote and potential strike is really about nurses battling corporate greed by standing up for our patients and our profession,” Union bargaining chair Trish Powers said in a statement. “The hospital is clearly more concerned about its profits and paying its executives enormous salaries than providing a safe, caring and respectful environment.”

The union’s statement said the hospital’s plan to use temporary nurses wouldn’t make up for the loss of the unionized workforce, based on the number of workers (3,300 unionized nurses vs. 700 temporary hires) and their familiarity with the facility and its systems.

“Without these 3,300 nurses, the Brigham is inoperable,” the union’s statement said.

Hospital officials said they still hope to avoid a strike and have “the utmost respect for our Brigham nurses and the unparalleled care they provide.”

The results of the strike vote are expected to be announced at 9pm Monday.