The overwhelming strike authorization vote demonstrates unity and resolve as MGB refuses to properly respect the essential home care clinicians provide

BOSTON, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The clinicians of MGB Home Care, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), voted by 92% on Tuesday, May 19 to authorize their MNA Bargaining Committee to schedule a potential seven-day strike as they continue negotiations with Mass General Brigham (MGB) for a first union contract.

The vote, which took place throughout the day at five sites throughout Eastern Massachusetts, reflected a powerful show of resolve from clinicians who have spent more than a year fighting for a contract that will help support quality patient care and sustain the MGB Home Care workforce across the region, from the New Hampshire Border to Plymouth. More than 72% of the clinicians turned out to vote on Tuesday.

"Our clinicians delivered a strong message through this vote," said MGB Home Care RN and MNA Chair Shannon Viera. "We are united in our determination to secure a contract that respects the essential care we provide to patients every day. We want to reach a fair agreement, but MGB must make meaningful movement on the issues that matter to clinicians and patients."

The strike authorization vote does not mean a strike will automatically happen, and no strike has been scheduled. The vote gives the MNA Bargaining Committee the authority to call a strike of seven days if necessary. If a strike is scheduled, clinicians would provide MGB with the legally required 10-day notice.

Approximately 450 MGB Home Care clinicians have been bargaining for their first MNA contract since March 2025 and have participated in 26 bargaining sessions. Clinicians have escalated public pressure in recent months, including holding an informational picket outside Massachusetts General Hospital earlier this year.

The MGB Home Care bargaining unit includes registered nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, social workers, and dieticians. Clinicians voted to join the MNA in June 2024.

"Our patients depend on skilled home care clinicians to safely manage complex medical needs outside the hospital," said MGB Home Care OT and MNA Bargaining Committee member Kara Wilson. "This strike vote shows clinicians are ready to stand together to win the contract we need to provide that essential care."

What Clinicians Are Seeking

• Reasonable Caseload Limits: Clear, enforceable protections to ensure clinicians can safely manage patient assignments.
• Clear Productivity Standards: Transparent expectations that recognize the time required to deliver high-quality patient care, coordinate services, and document care.
• Recruitment and Retention Protections: Contract provisions that support building and sustaining a strong home care workforce.
• Competitive Wages: Compensation reflecting the critical role clinicians play in providing complex care to patients in their homes across the region.

MGB Finances and Executive Pay

As other Massachusetts hospital systems reported losses, MGB turned a profit and improved its financial situation. According to Stat News, MGB reported a $59.2 million operating gain in the year ending in September 2025, compared to a $45.7 million gain in the same period the year prior. The publication reported that those numbers, along with a sizable gain from investments, contributed to a $2.4 billion net margin. Last year, the system reported $2 billion in net gains.

• MGB CEO Dr. Anne Klibanksi has increased her pay substantially in recent years. Klibanski was paid $6 million in 2023. In 2024, her pay jumped 40% to $8.4 million.
• From 2018 to 2023, MGB executives and key employees made $819 million in total salary. They made a combined $100 million in bonuses, according to MGB filings.

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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.

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SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association