Thousands of nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital returned to work early Monday, bringing an end to the largest nurses strike in Massachusetts history.
The return comes five days after roughly 4,000 nurses launched what was intended to be a one-day strike over higher wages and other workplace concerns. Hospital management extended the work stoppage for five additional days, leaving many nurses frustrated that they are returning without a new contract.
During the strike, Brigham and Women’s Hospital brought in about 1,300 replacement nurses to maintain patient care. Union members continued picketing outside the hospital around the clock until they were cleared to return to work Monday morning.
“This is so emotional and so overwhelming,” said Jen DeVincent, an MNA union representative and labor and delivery nurse at Mass General Brigham. “There’s not even words for how unified and supportive these nurses have been of each other. This has brought us so close together.”
The strike followed seven months of negotiations between the Massachusetts Nurses Association and Mass General Brigham, which operates the hospital. The two sides remain divided over wages, employee health care contributions and the union’s push for greater investment in permanent nursing staff instead of temporary travel nurses.
Mass General Brigham said the transition back to regular staffing Monday went “smoothly and successfully.”
“Brigham and Women’s Hospital underwent careful and comprehensive planning to guarantee nursing coverage in every area of our hospital throughout the transition and ensure care for our patients and a safe and coordinated handoff for our nursing teams,” a hospital spokesperson said in a statement.
The hospital also noted it has participated in more than 20 bargaining sessions since November 2025 and said nurses already receive annual 5% pay increases for up to 20 years under the current compensation structure.
Meanwhile, a separate labor dispute continues within the health system. About 450 Mass General Brigham home care clinicians remain on strike, with their work stoppage expected to end Tuesday evening.
