What: Nurses will picket in front of Brigham and Women’s Hospital as they fight for a fair contract for all of the 3,300 RNs at the hospital. BWH and Partners HealthCare, the largest, most profitable health care employer in Massachusetts, insists on imposing a two-tiered benefit system for nurses. The hospital wants to force new nurses into lesser time-off and health insurance programs, and refuses to give every nurse an across-the-board increase for a three-year period.
When: Tuesday, May 17, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: In front of the main entrance of the hospital at 75 Francis St., Boston MA
Why: BWH/Partners is focused solely on its bottom line, refusing to value the nurses who provide the vast majority of patient care. This stance is coming from a hospital system that earned $1.9 billion in profits over five years, and which recently gave its top five executives a 23 percent, $1.3 million single-year raise. Brigham President Betsy Nabel received an 18% raise between FY2012 and FY2013. Her wages rose to $2.38 million. Yet BWH/Partners claims it would be "unreasonable" to give staff nurses an across-the-board salary increase.
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