Brigham Nurses Vote 93% to Authorize Open-Ended Strike

Nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston voted 93% — 2,986 in favor to 215 opposed — to authorize an open-ended strike on September 24, 2026, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), with reporting confirmed by WBUR and the Boston Globe. MNA called it the largest open-ended RN strike authorization in Massachusetts history. The roughly 4,000-member bargaining unit, employed by Mass General Brigham, has spent months negotiating a new contract. No strike date has been set, and Massachusetts law requires 10 days’ written notice before any walkout can begin, so a resolution is still possible.

What the vote authorizes, and what it doesn’t

A yes vote hands the union’s bargaining committee the ability to call a strike if talks with Mass General Brigham (MGB) continue to stall. It is not a strike itself, and it does not set a date. The required 10-day notice period means both sides still have room to reach a deal before any nurse walks off the floor. Unlike the one-day strike Brigham nurses held in July 2026, this authorization covers an indefinite, open-ended walkout if the committee decides to call one.

The issues behind the vote

The dispute centers on cost-of-living wage increases, affordable access to the hospital’s own employer health plan, limits on how heavily MGB relies on temporary travel nurses instead of staff, and stronger patient-care staffing ratios. The union has pointed to the hospital system’s reported profitability as reason to believe there is room at the table; MGB has not announced a new across-the-board offer matching the union’s ask.

A second strike vote at the same hospital this year

This is a continuation of a dispute that has run through most of 2026. Brigham nurses set this strike authorization vote for Sept. 24 back in mid-September, itself a follow-up to a one-day strike in July that MNA called the largest single-day nurse strike in state history. With the vote now passed by a wide margin, the union has leverage it did not have a month ago — but the outcome still depends on what happens at the bargaining table in the days ahead.

What this means for a nurse’s own coverage

An open-ended strike, or the kind of lockout that followed Brigham’s last walkout, can interrupt a nurse’s paycheck and employer benefits for an unpredictable stretch. Coverage that is not tied to a hospital’s health plan or contingent on which insurer the employer offers — like an individually owned final expense or whole life policy — keeps working the same way whether a member is on the job, on a picket line, or between health plans. Nurses and other healthcare union members weighing a long labor dispute are a natural audience for that kind of standalone coverage, and a vote like this one is a timely, non-political reason to have the conversation.

For nurses and union households thinking through their own coverage, our union members coverage page, whole life and final expense pages, and free calculator are good starting points.

Source

• Massachusetts Nurses Association: Brigham Nurses Vote Overwhelmingly to Authorize Largest Open-Ended RN Strike in MA History

Frequently Asked Questions

How did the Brigham and Women's Hospital nurses vote on a strike?

On September 24, 2026, nurses voted 2,986 to 215, or 93%, to authorize an open-ended strike. The Massachusetts Nurses Association called it the largest open-ended RN strike authorization in state history. No strike date has been set.

Does the 93% vote mean a strike is happening now?

Not yet. Authorizing a strike gives the union's bargaining committee the ability to call one if talks fail, but Massachusetts law requires at least 10 days' written notice before any walkout can begin, so a contract could still be reached first.

Why does a strike authorization matter for a nurse's own life insurance coverage?

An open-ended strike, or the lockout that followed Brigham's last walkout, can interrupt pay and employer benefits for an unpredictable stretch. Coverage that isn't tied to a hospital's health plan or benefits package, like an individually owned final expense or whole life policy, keeps working the same way whether a member is on the job or on a picket line.