FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mass General Brigham Primary Care Physicians Vote to Unionize by Supermajority, Employer Attempts to Delay Negotiations

Boston, MA — May 30, 2025 — In a historic move, approximately 250 academic primary care physicians at Mass General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) 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, Mass General Brigham (MGB) appears poised to refuse to come to the bargaining table while it appeals the common-sense 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. 

“Primary care is drowning, and with today’s vote to unionize, we are building a raft,” said Dr. Michael Barnett of Brigham and Women's Advanced Primary Care Associates, South Huntington. “We need to rebuild our primary care practices, empower physicians, and ensure that our patients get the care they deserve. We can make this happen by working with MGB leadership to implement their pledge of $400 million of investment in primary care. We are ready for MGB to recognize our union and move forward.”   

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.

Dr. Liz Lincoln of Mass General Beacon Hill Primary Care called out the toll of MGB’s relentless efforts to delay and challenge the union vote at every step. “MGB’s choice to disregard the results of this election by appealing to the national board when they have already lost regionally, at a time when there is no quorum available nationally, feels like a ploy to violate the rights of its employees to unionize. Acting this way gives a clear message of corporate power.”

Across the country, physicians are increasingly responding to corporate pressures and reduced autonomy by forming unions. At MGB, primary care doctors have joined this growing trend by voting to unionize, citing concerns about the direction of healthcare and the need for stronger advocacy within their profession.

As Dr. Carl Malm of Mass General Everett Family Care put it, “Primary care, the beating heart of medicine, is at risk. Our union represents an opportunity for collaboration and real partnership around the only non-negotiable: the health of our patients.”

About Doctors Council:
Doctors Council is the country’s oldest and largest union of attending physicians with members across the country, and growing. Founded to give doctors a collective voice, Doctors Council works to improve working conditions, enhance patient care, and restore the dignity of the medical profession. Doctors Council members are committed to improving the healthcare system and advocating for the rights of doctors and their patients.

Media Contact:
Gabrielle Hanley, Lead Organizer
ghanley@doctorscouncil.org 

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