Primary care doctors at Mass General Brigham packed the State House yesterday, pressing lawmakers to sign a petition urging the health system to drop its legal challenge to a doctors’ union and begin contract talks. Organizers said the drawn out fight is harming clinics and patients and argued that a formal bargaining process would help stabilize schedules, staffing and pay. The physicians say they voted overwhelmingly to unionize last spring and view the appeal as a tactic to stall bargaining.
Lawmakers Pressed For Recognition
At a packed State House briefing, physicians including Dr. Zoe Tseng, Dr. Michael Barnett and Dr. Kristen Gunning asked legislators to add their names to a petition calling on Mass General Brigham to recognize the Doctors Council and start negotiating a contract, according to The Boston Globe. Organizers read language that said, “We urge Mass General Brigham to respect the results of the union election, recognize the physicians’ union, and begin bargaining promptly.” Representative Thomas Stanley told organizers he planned to sign the petition, and Senator Paul Feeney told the room, “We trust our doctors with our health, our wellness, and our life.”
MGB's Investment And The AI Band-Aid Debate
Mass General Brigham has said it will invest roughly $400 million over five years to shore up primary care and has launched new leadership and programs aimed at retaining clinicians, according to a system release. Mass General Giving describes the plan as a mix of care coordination, training and digital tools. At the same time, MGB rolled out an AI-powered “Care Connect” intake and telehealth service this fall for about 15,000 patients without a primary care doctor, a move reporters say has eased access for some but worried others that tech could be used instead of hiring clinicians, per KFF Health News.
Union Vote And The Appeal
A mail ballot held last spring included 237 eligible physicians; 209 ballots were returned and about 88 percent of those votes favored unionization, effectively the roughly 183–26 margin organizers cite, according to The Harvard Crimson. Mass General Brigham has challenged the composition of the bargaining unit, arguing that doctors who work in practices integrated with acute care hospitals should not have been eligible to vote, a legal argument that has moved the dispute to the National Labor Relations Board and put bargaining on hold.
Primary Care Access Fuels The Push
State data have underscored the urgency. A Health Policy Commission report found that more than four in 10 Massachusetts residents reported difficulty accessing primary care, and wait times for new patient appointments in Boston have stretched into the weeks, per WBUR. Local leaders have already weighed in on staffing and access issues in past coverage, as Boston physicians rally documented last year.
What Happens Next
Organizers said they will keep pressing lawmakers because an appeal to the NLRB could drag on. Dr. Kristen Gunning warned it might take as long as 18 months for a ruling, a timeline organizers cited at the State House, per The Boston Globe. Mass General Brigham says it respects employees’ rights and is pursuing standard procedures while rolling out investments and programs to support primary care clinicians, according to Mass General Giving.
