Brigham and Women's Hospital nurses strike in Boston now largest walkout for nurses in Massachusetts history

Key Points:

• Thousands of nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston began a strike on Wednesday, marking the largest nurses strike in Massachusetts history, with the hospital hiring nearly 1,300 replacement nurses for coverage.
• The strike is planned for one day, but nurses will be locked out for an additional four days due to replacement nurse contracts, prompting Boston Police to close part of Francis Street due to a large crowd.
• Negotiations between Mass General Brigham and the Massachusetts Nurses Association have stalled over pay, with the union opposing the hospital's proposal of zero-percent raises, while the hospital claims nurses are among the highest paid nationally with average salaries over $147,000.
• Despite the strike, the hospital assures patient care will not be affected and that scheduled appointments will proceed unless patients are directly informed of changes, though some patient families have expressed concern about care quality during the strike.
• The nurses' strike and lockout are set to conclude on Monday, July 13, while a related strike by home health care workers is scheduled to end on Wednesday, July 15.