With no deal in sight, Brigham nurses plan to strike starting Oct. 14

The 4,000 staff nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston will go on an open-ended strike Oct. 14, union officials said. It would be their second strike of the year, after a one-day strike in July that was followed by a four-day lockout. The dispute centers on wages. Nurses receive 5% step increases for their first two decades on the job and are also seeking across-the-board raises; hospital officials say additional raises are “not financially sustainable.” The union is also pushing for more affordable health insurance and limits on temporary nurses. The Massachusetts Nurses Association and Mass General Brigham are scheduled to negotiate again on Oct. 8. Meanwhile, about 2,000 nurses at Boston Medical Center are considering a three-day strike over wages and staffing.