Brigham Nurses Hold MGB Board Accountable as Historic Strike Looms

In a letter addressed to Board Chairman Scott Sperling and CEO Anne Klibanski, nursing leaders Kelly Morgan and Jim McCarthy characterized the strike and subsequent four-day lockout as a deliberate choice by leadership rather than a financial necessity. The correspondence highlights the contrast between the board members’ backgrounds in private equity and the reality of bedside care providers. Despite eight months of negotiations, the hospital system has remained firm on a 0% cost-of-living increase, a stance that has persisted even as union representatives offered compromises to avert the walkout.

The scale of the action is unprecedented in Massachusetts, involving 4,000 registered nurses at the Brigham and a separate seven-day strike by MGB Home Care clinicians. While Board Chair Sperling has publicly claimed that efforts have been made to reach common ground, the union points to the system’s $35.8 billion in assets and $2.4 billion in net gains as evidence that the administration is prioritizing executive compensation over the workforce. The union is now urging the board to exercise its oversight authority to force a settlement that addresses the rising cost of living for those providing direct patient care.