Nearly 40 Massachusetts lawmakers urged Mass General Brigham, based in Somerville, Mass., to recognize a union of primary care physicians and begin contract negotiations, according to an April 7 report from The Boston Globe.
A letter signed by 38 legislators called on the health system to drop its legal challenge to the bargaining unit and move forward with collective bargaining after physicians voted 183-26 in May to unionize.
Mass General Brigham has said the issue is under review. In a statement to Becker’s, the system said it asked the National Labor Relations Board to determine whether the proposed unit is appropriate for an acute care hospital and is awaiting a decision.
“We have followed the Board’s process and will continue to do so,” the system said, adding that treating the group differently from other employee groups “would not be fair.”
At the center of the dispute is how physicians should be classified under federal labor law. The system has argued that some physicians work in acute care settings and may not qualify for inclusion in a single bargaining unit — a position it asserted ahead of the 2025 election and continues to pursue during the NLRB review.
Union activity at the health system is expanding beyond primary care physicians. Nearly 200 advanced practice providers at the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute filed for unionization in January, and that effort is also under review by the NLRB.
In a separate April 6 letter to a state lawmaker shared with Becker’s, the system said it has about 14,000 unionized employees and has been investing in primary care improvements since 2023 to address capacity challenges.
The dispute over the primary care physicians’ filing comes as primary care access faces increasing strain, driven by workforce shortages and clinician burnout that are contributing to delays in care.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
