The future of unionization efforts at Massachusetts General Brigham (MGB) hangs in the balance as the corporate parent of some of Boston’s most prestigious hospitals engages in a legal dispute with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Recently, MGB filed a challenge regarding the composition of a proposed bargaining unit, claiming that numerous doctors are ineligible to join the union due to a technicality in NLRB rules.
With the NLRB currently lacking a quorum, a consequence of President Trump’s dismissal of one member and the subsequent vacancies left unfilled, the case is expected to remain unresolved for an indefinite period.
MGB has stated it respects employees’ rights to organize but is committed to ensuring any such process conforms to existing labor laws. Following a recent vote indicating interest in unionization, the health system reiterated its request for an NLRB review to assess whether the proposed bargaining unit meets legal standards specific to acute care hospitals.
The backdrop of this conflict features primary care physicians at MGB voicing concerns over being overworked, underpaid, and demoralized by what they describe as the ‘corporatization of medicine.’
Their desire to unionize reflects a broader national trend among physicians, with many across the country articulating similar grievances.
In November, primary care doctors at MGB expressed their intention to join the Doctors Council, recognized as the oldest and largest union representing fully trained physicians in the United States.
This push for unionization has been met with resistance from MGB, which contended that the Boston NLRB regional director made a mistake by permitting approximately 237 primary care doctors from 29 practices to participate in the vote.
MGB argues that up to three-quarters of these physicians are ineligible as they work in practices integrated with acute-care hospitals alongside other types of doctors.
According to MGB, the law requires that the union must include all physicians within those hospitals, a point that the regional director previously dismissed.
Critics of MGB’s stance argue that the organization is taking advantage of the NLRB’s current paralysis to prolong the union formation process.
Dr. Kristen Gunning, a primary care physician at Mass. General for 17 years, expressed her disappointment, stating, “MGB has no interest in working with the primary care doctors.”
Dr. Mark Eisenberg, another primary care physician at Mass. General, remarked, “It’s time for MGB to acknowledge the union to move this forward rather than going to D.C. with it.”
The urgency of the situation is underscored by the nationwide crisis facing primary care, which has seen increasing physician unionization efforts as medical professionals strive for better working conditions.
Despite Massachusetts being home to some of the most renowned physicians, a state report released in January highlighted that primary care remains critically compromised.
In response, MGB has acknowledged the difficulties confronting primary care doctors and pledged to invest nearly $400 million over the next five years to improve care quality. This vision was articulated by Dr. Anne Klibanski, MGB’s chief executive, who described the investment as “unprecedented.”
Friday’s vote marks the third time within two years that physicians at MGB have shown support for joining a union.
Earlier this year, around 2,600 doctors-in-training at various MGB hospitals successfully voted to affiliate with the Committee of Interns and Residents of the SEIU, with that union recently securing its inaugural three-year contract.
Additionally, in March 2022, 112 physicians at Salem Hospital, part of the MGB system, became the first attending doctors in the organization to unionize by joining Council 93 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.
As MGB continues to navigate the complexities of labor relations, the future of unionization efforts at the organization remains uncertain.
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