Nurses Union Says Boston Hospital Illegally Blocked NICU Nurses From Joining Strike

The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) has filed a federal unfair labor practice charge against Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, alleging the hospital illegally prevented neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses from walking off the job when a historic strike began last month.

The charge, announced July 27, 2026, with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), centers on the morning of July 8, when roughly 4,000 nurses launched what STAT called the largest nursing strike in Massachusetts history. The one-day walkout was followed by a multi-day lockout, during which the hospital brought in replacement nurses.

According to the union, hospital management refused to release NICU nurses from duty at 7:00 a.m. when the strike started, telling them they could not leave because of patient safety concerns. The allegations in the charge have not been proven, and the NLRB has not ruled on them.

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The MNA’s complaint alleges that Brigham and Women’s Hospital refused to release NICU nurses from duty at 7:00 a.m. in accordance with their legal right to strike. The union says management cited patient safety as the reason the nurses could not leave to join their colleagues on the picket line.

Kelly Morgan, RN and chair of the Brigham MNA bargaining committee, said in the union’s announcement that the hospital “cannot deny nurses their legal right to strike and then justify it by claiming patient safety concerns of its own making.” The federal charge asks the NLRB to determine whether the hospital’s actions violated labor law, a process that can take months.

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Inside the Historic Strike and Lockout

The strike capped a long contract fight between the MNA and Mass General Brigham (MGB), the hospital’s parent system. About 4,000 nurses walked off the job for one day over pay increases, insurance costs, and staffing. As the walkout began, nurses gathered on Francis Street near the hospital carrying signs, including one that read “Value Nurses Like You Value Your Bonu$e$.”

The dispute drew in state leaders: Governor Maura Healey summoned both sides to the State House for negotiations, with Mayor Michelle Wu helping arrange the meeting. After the one-day strike, the hospital imposed a lockout and relied on temporary replacement nurses to staff units. Nurses returned to the bargaining table on July 21, 2026, where the union again pressed for limits on the hospital’s reliance on temporary nurses. According to the MNA, the hospital declined to negotiate those provisions.

Katie Nicoloro, a NICU nurse and bargaining committee member, argued that the hospital’s stated safety rationale does not add up. “If MGB believed it was unsafe to allow experienced NICU nurses to leave at the beginning of the strike, it raises serious questions about the hospital’s decision to rely on replacement nurses throughout the lockout,” she said.

On August 3, the MNA filed a second unfair labor practice charge, alleging the hospital retaliated against nurses for striking by changing schedules on a medical ICU so that roughly 75 of the unit’s 100 nurses must now work every other weekend instead of every third. Nurses were scheduled to return to the bargaining table on August 6.

The right to strike is protected under federal labor law, and this case tests how far a hospital can go in restricting that right when patient safety is invoked. For NICU nurses and other specialty staff, the charge raises a pointed question that resonates far beyond Boston: can an employer keep nurses at the bedside against their will during a lawful work action, then fill those same roles with temporary staff?

The outcome could shape how hospitals and unions handle strike logistics for critical-care units nationwide, where patient acuity is high and safe handoffs are essential. It also shows how contract fights increasingly hinge on staffing and the use of replacement or travel nurses, not just wages. For now, the allegations remain unproven while the NLRB reviews the charge and contract talks continue.

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🤔 If you worked in a critical-care unit like the NICU, how should a hospital balance a safe patient handoff with nurses’ legal right to strike? Share your take in the comments.