Salem Hospital Physicians Vote To Form Union

SALEM, MA — Salem Hospital physicians voted to form a union through The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 93.

The AFSCME Council 93 said the physicians union will be comprised of physicians "representing inpatient specialties, dedicated to advocating for their patients, their profession, and for each other to ensure that their members have a unified and impactful role in the decisions that affect the safety and quality care of their patients."

The AFCME Council 93 said the vote was "overwhelmingly" in favor of unionization.

"Physicians are uniquely placed to be not only the most personally invested in their individual
patients, but also the most knowledgeable about how that care should be provided," the union said. "They seek to collect their voices to reassert their rightful place within the house of medicine, to impact positively their hospital, their patients, and ultimately, our health care system."

Both U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Salem) issued statements this week in support of the unionization efforts.

"Health care workers are essential," Markey said. "I am with these brave workers who organized for their rights with AFSCME Council 93. We’re facing a health care crisis—union workers power the solution."

"Unionizing is a right," Moulton said. "Increasing consolidation in the health care industry has strained providers. The voice of physicians must be heard to improve patient care, affordability, & equity across the industry.

"I stand with Salem Hospital Physicians in their efforts to unionize."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)