Thousands of Brigham and Women's nurses begin historic strike in Boston

Around 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston began a walkout early Wednesday, marking the biggest nurses strike in the state's history. The Massachusetts Nurses Association says the hospital's latest offer includes zero-percent raises, while the hospital argues its nurses already earn an average salary above $147,000 and that its proposal maintains a five-percent annual increase built into the wage scale.

The hospital has hired about 1,300 replacement nurses to cover shifts for the next five days and says patient care will not be disrupted, although scheduled appointments may be changed if patients are directly notified. The strike is slated for one day, but a lockout will extend for four additional days because the temporary staff are contracted for a five-day period.

Police temporarily closed a portion of Francis Street in the Longwood medical area as crowds gathered outside the facility. Negotiations have been ongoing for separate contracts covering the hospital's nurses and nearly 500 home-health workers, with both sides remaining at an impasse over compensation.

"We need to be inside taking care of our patients, not out here. This is on the Brigham, not on us," said union representative Jen Devincent.

Patient families expressed concern about potential impacts on care quality. One family member, Peter Caikauskas, said he was worried about his father's treatment after a recent double-lung transplant but added he supports the nurses.

The strike and lockout are scheduled to end at 7 a.m. on Monday, July 13, while the separate home-health workers' strike is set to conclude at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15.