About 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston voted overwhelmingly Thursday to authorize an open-ended strike, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents the workers.

The union said the action could become the largest open-ended registered nurse strike in Massachusetts history. No strike date has been announced, and nurses would be required by law to provide the hospital with 10 days’ notice before walking off the job.

If the strike takes place, it would continue until the nurses and the hospital reach a new contract agreement.

The nurses say they are seeking a contract that would protect patient care, strengthen the hospital’s workforce and make health insurance more affordable. Their proposals include limiting the hospital’s reliance on temporary nurses, providing fair compensation and cost-of-living increases, and offering affordable health insurance with a choice of plans.

Jim McCarthy, a registered nurse in the post-anesthesia care unit and vice chair of the BWH MNA Bargaining Committee, said nurses should not have to choose between patient care, affordable health coverage and fair wage increases.

The union also criticized Mass General Brigham’s leadership and board, saying hospital officials had not agreed to meaningful negotiations. Those statements represent the union’s position in the ongoing contract dispute.

Brigham and Women’s nurses previously held a one-day strike in July. Since then, the union said the hospital had refused to engage in meaningful negotiations.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association said the hospital told nurses in August that it would not resume negotiations unless significant changes were made to the nurses’ latest proposal.

Kelly Morgan, a labor and delivery nurse and chair of the BWH MNA Bargaining Committee, said nurses were prepared to remain on strike for as long as necessary to reach an agreement addressing their concerns.

The union acknowledged that an open-ended strike would be a significant step and said it could create a major healthcare disruption in Massachusetts. It called on Mass General Brigham to return to negotiations to avoid a prolonged work stoppage.

No strike has been scheduled, and negotiations between the nurses and the hospital remain ongoing.

SOURCE: ABC News, Mary Kekatos, September 25, 2026.