Brigham nurses postpone Oct. 14 strike to vote on contract offer

Brigham and Women's Hospital nurses have postponed a strike that had been scheduled to begin Oct. 14 so members can vote on a contract offer.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association announced the postponement in an Oct. 11 update. About 4,000 Brigham nurses are represented by the union.

The union said negotiations had produced progress on patient-care and workplace issues. It said the complexity of the offer and the effects a strike would have on nurses and the community led its committee to put the proposal before members.

The same union update said Mass General Brigham still refused cost-of-living wage increases, which the union said it believed was intended to break the union.

The strike had been planned as open-ended, continuing rather than ending after a single day. The union's Oct. 2 notice had set a 7 a.m. start.

In an Oct. 11 statement, Mass General Brigham confirmed the strike notice had been withdrawn and called its proposal the last, best and final offer. The hospital said it had made progress on union priorities while balancing patient care and its long-term finances.

The offer requires nurses' approval. The hospital's Oct. 11 statement said no vote date had been announced, and Boston.com reported Oct. 12 that the union was scheduling it.

The hospital said it would not use the temporary staffing planned for the Oct. 14 walkout. Any later strike would require a new 10-day notice, according to its statement.