Brigham nurses postponed their strike. David Williams is quoted about it in the Boston Globe.
The nurses union was embarrassed over the summer when hospital management turned their planned one-day walkout into a five-day lockout. So they upped the ante with a vote for an open ended strike.
But are the best compensated nurses in Boston really so eager to go on strike? And will MGB cave even if they do?
There are a few online comments that point out that the nurses make more money than some of the doctors at MGB, to which other commenters reply that it's not up to the nurses to make sure doctors' interests are represented. That's true, but you can bet that management is aware of the relative compensation and that this plays into their thinking.
Brigham nurses postpone strike, will vote on potential contract
David E. Williams, president of Health Business Group, a Boston management consulting firm, said the union’s decision to call an open-ended strike was a show of strength after the July walkout didn’t result in an agreement. But it is difficult to know how close the nurses were to actually striking, he said.
“Now they have an opportunity to back off when it looks like they got something, which is a new offer from MGB management,” Williams said.
While Williams doesn’t know the terms of the final offer or how the nurses will vote on it, he said “there’s a good likelihood” they will approve the contract.
“I think that the nurses probably overplayed their hand because they already do very well financially and make more than others in the area,” he said. “I don’t think that MGB is willing to show that much flexibility.”
