Hi, I’m Jonathan Saltzman from the Globe, and I covered a one-day nurses strike in July. A sequel could be coming — and it could be much, much worse.
But first, here’s what else is going on:
- What happened to the men accused of buying sex in the Cambridge brothel ring?
- Lindsay Clancy “had no memory” of killing her children, her lawyer says.
- It’s the last chance for the Red Sox after last night’s 9-0 beatdown by the Yankees.
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TODAY’S STARTING POINT
Some 4,000 unionized nurses and Brigham and Women’s Hospital are on a collision course that could result in a disruptive and protracted strike at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the country as early as next month.
The only thing both sides seem to agree on is that a second walkout — one that’s open-ended, in contrast to the one-day strike by the union on July 8 — is the last thing they want for the Harvard-affiliated teaching hospital in Boston.
Last Thursday, nurses represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association voted to authorize an indefinite strike if Brigham’s parent company, Mass General Brigham, doesn’t offer a satisfactory contract proposal. The dispute is largely over wages.
A 301-day nightmare
The last time the MNA authorized an open-ended strike was at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester in February 2021, and that led to a 301-day strike, the longest in state history. Union leaders say they hope to avoid that but need to stand up to a corporation “run by multibillionaires.”
“This could financially devastate the majority of our bargaining unit,” said Kelly Morgan, a charge nurse in labor and delivery at Brigham who heads the local. “What we’re asking the nurses to do is go without a paycheck and lose their health insurance for an indefinite period of time.”
MGB says it has been in touch with US Nursing, the Colorado-based company that supplied temporary nurses in July. After the one-day strike ended, the hospital locked out unionized nurses for four days because management said it had to provide five days of work for the nearly 1,300 temporary nurses.
“While the hospital does not want a strike, we are fully prepared to manage through one, regardless of its duration,” MGB spokesperson Jessica Pastore said Monday, adding that most of the temporary nurses who worked at Brigham in July have agreed to return if needed.
First, a warning
While the union’s vote didn’t guarantee a strike, it greenlit the local’s bargaining committee to call for one when it wants to. Federal law requires the nurses to give the hospital 10 days’ notice before they walk out.
Higher wages are a major focus of the dispute. The union wants a 3 percent raise for the first six months and a 4 percent raise for the next 12 months of the contract. The hospital isn’t offering any new across-the-board raise, but notes that nurses already receive a 5 percent step increase for each of their first two decades of service.
“While recent past contracts included across-the-board increases on top of the step scale,” MGB has said in a memorandum to employees, “continuing that pattern in every contract cycle is not financially sustainable.”
Brigham nurses start at $86,700 annually, and those with 20 years of service earn at least $220,000, according to documents shared by MGB. Nearly one-third of the local, or 1,322 nurses, earn that maximum amount, MGB said.
Brigham nurses say the across-the-board raise is crucial because of inflation and to retain highly trained employees. They noted that Dr. Anne Klibanski, MGB’s chief executive, received a roughly 9 percent raise in 2024, when she made nearly $9.2 million. And MGB ended fiscal 2025 with a total surplus of $2.3 billion.
🧩 1 Across: Globe | 🌤️ 71° Sun again?
POINTS OF INTEREST
Lone Star: Texas Democrats have long said they’ll turn the red state blue. Is this the year it’s real? Plus, could the 2026 midterm elections have echoes of a Democratic rout 20 years earlier?
Back Bay killing: A man accused of fatally striking a well-known art collector with his vehicle in January has been deemed competent to stand trial after months of psychiatric treatment.
Malden horror: A woman was found malnourished, covered in bite marks after an alleged six weeks in captivity in an attic. A landlord discovered the captivity while checking for leaks.
‘Please help my child learn’: Six tips to help parents navigate an IEP meeting.
Susan Collins: A Supreme Court vote shadows the Maine Republican in her first Senate race after the abortion rights decision.
‘Don’t call it a basement’: For $700,000, a Brookline Victorian’s lower level has become a $4,500-a-month rental unit.
Cut off: These New England immigrants arrived legally. Now, thousands will lose Medicaid benefits.
It’s not all men. But it’s too many men: A woman was allegedly gang raped at a Cornell frat house. Dozens of men knew it was happening and did nothing to stop it, writes Renée Graham. Yesterday, New York’s governor pushed for an investigation of the Cornell case.
Bear with me: A “curious little” black bear wandered onto a roof in Carlisle. In other “whoa” news, Newton health officials order a mini horse removed as its owner weighs a lawsuit.
Hurting the poor: UMass researchers say Trump cuts to Head Start regulations could undermine services for the country’s poorest families. (The Conversation)
BESIDE THE POINT
By David Beard
Sorry, Tom: “Digger” is the worst movie of Tom Cruise’s career,” says Globe reviewer Odie Henderson. “The mess isn’t even hot here.” This is only the ninth “zero stars” rating by Henderson in two decades of reviewing.
❤️❤️❤️ Two plus one makes three: “I asked my husband if I could get an AI boyfriend. He said yes.”
💌 Love Letters: “Now that we live in the same city, my ex has pulled the plug on our friendship.” Plus, a new dating trend is emerging in Boston.
🍽️ Chopstick Murphys: What’s the not-so-secret ingredient for successful restaurants? Content creators like Christian Doan.
📷 Rhinestones and shrimp: Scenes from a Market Basket-themed cabaret show.
🌈 Last Ditch: For a few folks, the much talked-about lesbian bar in Greenfield “provided something that the rest of the world won’t anymore: a place to feel normal on a Saturday night,” writes Adriana E. Ramírez.
🎤 Today’s soundtrack: “Dancing On My Own,” by Robyn.
Thanks for reading Starting Point.
This newsletter was edited by David Beard and produced by Ryan Orlecki.
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Jonathan Saltzman can be reached at jonathan.saltzman@globe.com.