MetroWest Medical Center CEO To Attend Framingham Council Meeting

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham residents will have the chance to hear from two of the top figures in local healthcare during a meeting next week.

City Council Chair Phil Ottaviani Jr. announced through a news release on Tuesday that MetroWest Medical Center CEO John Whitlock and Tenet Massachusetts Market CEO Carolyn Jackson will be in attendance at a Jan. 16 council meeting.

This comes as nurses at Framingham Union Hospital are voting to unionize on Wednesday after months of waiting on an election they claim was slowed by officials within the healthcare company. Additionally, officials with Massachusetts Nurses Association — whom Framingham Union nurses will form a union through, if successful — hospital and Tenet officials used "union busting" tactics to try and hamper unionization efforts.

Those tactics included hospital officials filing a "frivolous" appeal to the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, DC, MNA officials said in November.

There are approximately 280 registered nurses at FUH who would be represented by the MNA if the election ends with an affirmative vote to join the union.

As for why the city says officials will be at the meeting, Ottaviani didn't explicitly reference the union election.

"We had residents raise some concerns about Framingham Union Hospital/MetroWest Medical Center at several of our meetings in late 2023. The City Council invited the CEO to attend a meeting and address those concerns," said Ottaviani. "I am looking forward to a robust discussion on the hospital and the care it provides our residents."

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Blumer Room at the Framingham Memorial Building. A livestream will be available on the City Council Facebook page and will be available to watch on the city's Government Channel.

Read more: Framingham Union Nurses Vote To Form Union This Week