Vote will authorize the MGB Home Care bargaining committee to schedule a potential seven-day strike if MGB refuses to respect the essential care clinicians provide

BOSTON, May 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Clinicians of MGB Home Care, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), will hold a strike authorization vote on Tuesday, May 19 as they continue bargaining with Mass General Brigham (MGB) for a fair first union contract that supports clinicians and protects patient care across the region.

Voting will take place throughout the day at multiple sites and conclude at 7 p.m. The vote follows months of bargaining and escalating public actions by clinicians, including an informational picket held outside Massachusetts General Hospital earlier this year.

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 say MGB continues to resist meaningful movement on key issues including caseload protections, productivity standards, competitive wages, and measures needed to recruit and retain experienced home care staff.

If approved, the strike authorization vote will empower the MGB Home Care bargaining committee to call a strike of up to seven days if negotiations fail to produce a fair agreement. The vote itself does not mean a strike will necessarily be scheduled or held.

"Our clinicians want to reach a fair agreement that allows us to continue providing the high-quality care our patients deserve," said MGB Home Care RN and MNA Chair Shannon Viera. "This vote is about showing MGB that clinicians are united and serious about securing a contract that respects our work and protects patient care."

The MGB Home Care MNA 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 complicated medical needs outside the hospital," said MGB Home Care OT and MNA Bargaining Committee member Kara Wilson. "We need enforceable standards and competitive compensation so clinicians can continue delivering that care and so MGB can recruit and retain the workforce patients rely on."

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.

MassNurses.org │ Facebook.com/MassNurses │ Twitter.com/MassNurses │ Instagram.com/MassNurses 

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.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mgb-home-care-clinicians-to-hold-strike-authorization-vote-on-519-to-secure-a-fair-contract-and-ensure-quality-patient-care-302772630.html

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association