93 Healthcare Professionals at BMC - Brighton File for Union Election to Join the Massachusetts Nurses Association, Citing Need for a Stronger Voice in Patient Care and Working Conditions

BMC – Brighton (formerly St. Elizabeth's Medical Center) healthcare professionals have signed union cards to secure a safer care environment through collaboration

BOSTON, June 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of 93 healthcare professionals at Boston Medical Center – Brighton (formerly Steward Healthcare's St. Elizabeth's Medical Center) are filing a petition on Friday, June 27 with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a union election to join the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) and advocate for patient and staff safety, as well as respect for their professional expertise.

"We are forming our union to have a meaningful say in the decisions that impact our patients and our practice," said Dina Flannery, an occupational therapist at BMC — Brighton and an organizing committee member. "A legally protected voice will empower BMC — Brighton allied health professionals to improve our workplace and ensure patients can receive the quality care they deserve."

"Social workers are unionizing because we want to have more say in what goes into patient care," said Dante Salvucci, a social worker at BMC – Brighton and a member of the organizing committee. "Social workers feel undervalued and want to have a unified voice when it comes to bargaining for better benefits!

NLRB officials will determine the logistics and timing of the election. The healthcare professional's filing on Friday follows the delivery of a recognition letter to BMC – Brighton management on Thursday, June 26, in which the organizing committee requested voluntary recognition of their union.

"We believe that our goals are aligned – to continue Boston Medical Center's reputation as a pre-eminent hospital that provides stellar medical care and support to our patients, and creates a positive, supportive work environment that attracts and retains talented hospital personnel," the group wrote in a letter to Paul Smith, President of Boston Medical Center Brighton. "As unified professionals who are committed to our patients, we understand that the welfare and consideration of all staff members are critical to ensuring the hospital's success."

The MNA is the largest union and professional organization of nurses and healthcare professionals in Massachusetts. It represents 25,000 members in healthcare facilities across the state, including nurses at more than 70 percent of the Commonwealth's acute care hospitals, as well as a growing number of nurses and health professionals working in schools, visiting nurse associations, public health departments and state agencies. The MNA is led by a board of directors that is directly elected by its membership and consists of front-line nurses and healthcare professionals.

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Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 25,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association