Medical professionals at hospitals like Newton-Wellesley are in the process of trying to unionize.
But they’re not alone - given the economy and fallout from the pandemic.
”I think I have the best job in the world," Dr. Titi Afolabi said.
As a second-year resident at MGH, Afolabi says she can work as many as 100 hours a week. She and other trainees at Mass General Brigham are now moving to unionize in hopes of getting better wages, benefits and working conditions.
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"I think unionizing gives us an opportunity to have our voices heard at the institutional level and I think the COVID pandemic really shed light on how important it really is for our society," she explained.
From Starbucks employees to RAs at colleges in the Boston area, workers of all stripes seem to be more willing to flex their collective muscle in the wake of the pandemic and in the face of historic inflation. That includes members of existing unions like teachers.
Steve Striffler, director of the Labor Resource Center at UMass Boston, says COVID-19 helped shaped the attitude of a lot of workers especially those in the service and health care industries.
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"They needed labor unions during this period to protect themselves, not only for the traditional things like working conditions, and wages, but also workplace safety.”
About 2,000 residents and fellows would make up the new union at hospitals operated by Mass General Brigham. It opposes the effort, saying it has some of the country’s highest-paid residency programs, adding: “We believe we can achieve the best results by working together in direct partnership, rather than through representatives in a process that can lead to conflict and potentially risk the continuity of patient care.”
"This is about money, but again it’s also about having our voices heard, having ourselves respected, and the dignity that we deserve as people who take care of some of the most critical patients in the country," Afolabi said.
Massachusetts General Brigham has refused to recognize the union. Residents and fellows are preparing for a formal election with the help of the National Labor Relations Board.
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