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Chelsea council backs Mass General Brigham primary care physicians’ bid for recognition
Summary
After public testimony from Chelsea-area clinicians, the City Council adopted a resolution urging Mass General Brigham to recognize a newly voted primary care physicians’ union and begin bargaining; the measure passed 10–1 after edits proposed by Councilor Brown.
The Chelsea City Council on a 10–1 vote adopted a resolution expressing the city’s support for primary care physicians at Mass General Brigham (MGB) who voted to unionize and urging the system to recognize the union and enter into negotiations.
The resolution notes that about 88% of nearly 250 primary care physicians at Mass General Brigham voted in favor of unionizing with the Doctors Council SEIU and that, despite the majority, MGB had not recognized the union at the time of the meeting.
Several Chelsea-area clinicians addressed the council during public comment. Andrew Foley, a primary care doctor who said most of his patients are Chelsea residents and who works at the Mass General Brigham Chelsea clinic, described staff concern about “increased corporatization” and gave an example of a community smoking-cessation program that was cut for budget reasons while the system spent on national advertising. “We did this because we won a seat at the table to… push back against corporate decisions that we feel are not in our patients’ interests,” Foley said of the union vote.
Dr. Donna Waja, who said she recently moved to Chelsea and practices primary care there, described burnout and working conditions and said physicians deserve a voice in their workplace. “To refuse to bargain with their workers when a super majority have voted in support of a union is, frankly, unacceptable,” she told the council.
Councilor Roberto Jimenez Rivera introduced the resolution and accepted two amendments offered by Councilor Brown that softened some language; the amendments were accepted and the amended resolution was moved and adopted on roll call.
Councilor Taylor said he agreed with the goals but has a longstanding policy of voting no on political resolutions and cast the lone no vote. Other councilors urged the city to support frontline health workers and noted the importance of stable physician staffing for continuity of care at Mass General Brigham’s Chelsea clinic.
The resolution asks that a copy be sent to Mass General Brigham leadership, Mass General Hospital Chelsea, and the MGB Primary Care Physician unit. It is a statement of municipal support; it does not compel MGB to recognize the union. Recognition and bargaining remain actions for the employer and the union under federal labor law and National Labor Relations Board procedures.
