Mass General Brigham Docs in Foxboro Vote to Unionize

In a historic move, according to a union statement approximately 250 academic primary care physicians at Mass General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), including those at Mass General Brigham Healthcare Centers located at 20 and 22 Patriot Place in Foxborough, have voted overwhelmingly to unionize, forming the first union of academic primary care physicians in Massachusetts.

Representing 29 clinics, the physicians voted by 183-26 to join Doctors Council SEIU to improve primary care for their patients and fight against the corporatization of healthcare. Despite the overwhelming support for forming a union, according to a union statement, Mass General Brigham (MGB) appears poised to refuse to come to the bargaining table while it appeals the  bargaining unit of primary care physicians that was set for election.

Physicians voted by mail between May 6 and May 29; ballots were counted on the afternoon of May 30. The physicians look forward to their union being certified and collaborating with MGB to secure the necessary resources, staffing, and support systems that will allow them to deliver high-quality care for their patients. This win comes at the heels of MGB residents ratifying their first contract with 98% support.

Physicians initially filed for an election in November 2024, with a supermajority signing union cards. In response, MGB hired Littler, the well-known union busting law firm, to fight the effort and delay the vote. In April, the NLRB’s Regional Director of Region 1 ruled in favor of the physicians, allowing the election to proceed in May. MGB unsuccessfully requested the Regional Director to put off the election indefinitely in light of the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, DC lacking a quorum. It subsequently appealed the Regional Director’s decision to the Board before the election, a development that it made sure to promptly advertise to the voting physicians.