Mass General Brigham Refuses to Negotiate with Home Care Clinicians on Wednesday Following 7-Day Strike

MGB Home Care clinicians consider next steps as they push MGB to address patient safety, recruitment and retention, and competitive wages in their first MNA contract

SOMERVILLE, Mass., July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Clinicians with Mass General Brigham (MGB) Home Care, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), returned to the bargaining table Wednesday for the first time since their seven-day strike. Despite overwhelming public support from patients, families, community members, labor unions, and elected officials throughout the strike, Mass General Brigham (MGB) executives refused to negotiate.

"Following our powerful strike, MGB Home Care clinicians will not back down from our fight for safe, high-quality patient care," said Shannon Viera, RN, Chair of the MGB Home Care MNA Bargaining Committee. " MGB had an opportunity to come back to the bargaining table ready to make progress on Wednesday. Instead, MGB executives refused to negotiate on the issues that matter most to clinicians and the patients we care for every day. Their behavior is incredibly disappointing and deeply disrespectful."

MGB did not enter the bargaining room with clinicians, instead communicating through the federal mediator. The clinicians once again emphasized that their priorities are about protecting the quality of patient care in homes across eastern Massachusetts. Home Care clinicians provide complex nursing care, physical and occupational therapy, social work, speech therapy, case management, dietary support, and other essential services that allow patients to recover safely at home and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations.

The clinicians' bargaining committee made clear through the federal mediator that they are prepared to negotiate and have flexibility within their key issues if MGB is willing to engage in meaningful bargaining. However, MGB refused to negotiate at all.

Clinicians' top outstanding issues include:

• Reasonable caseload limits that support safe patient care.
• Clear and transparent productivity standards.
• Competitive wages reflecting the complexity and importance of home care services and aid with recruitment and retention.

The bargaining committee secured another bargaining date in August. If MGB continues refusing to bargain in good faith, clinicians will begin preparing additional actions.

"We came back to the table ready to negotiate and ready to find solutions," said Shannon Viera. "Our priorities are focused on improving care for patients while making Home Care a place where experienced clinicians want to build their careers. MGB can resolve these issues if it is willing to negotiate. If it continues refusing to engage, we are prepared to continue this fight."

Learn more at www.massnurses.org/MGB.

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Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 26,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association