Healthcare is a demanding field. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals often work long hours. Their jobs also require emotional stamina and physical endurance. Over time, the demands of the job can lead to burnout. This impacts not only the healthcare professionals but also to the quality of care they provide.
More individually, doctors, nurses, and other health professionals are sometimes subject to seemingly arbitrary rules, schedules, and discipline. Most alarmingly, when a physician, nurse, or other licensed health professional is terminated, or their contract is not renewed, it can be difficult to become reemployed, despite the termination not being the professional’s fault. Even licensure issues sometimes result from management’s arbitrary actions.
In response, many doctors and nurses wonder whether unionizing could help them improve their working conditions, their ability to care for patients, and their job security. What should you know?
How can a union help healthcare workers?
Unions can negotiate on behalf of their members for better working conditions, such as reasonable work hours, necessary support resources, fair treatment, and time off. This can lead to a more sustainable work environment, which is vital for demanding industries like healthcare. Indeed, following union organization, healthcare institutions have noticed an increase in morale and a decrease in turnover. Unionization of professional can definitely be a win-win for everybody.
Moreover, unions have a powerful voice in advocating for fair compensation. Labor organization can lead to higher pay for healthcare professionals. They are also more likely to receive other benefits than non-unionized health professionals. This ensures that health professionals receive compensation, benefits, and time off that reflects their skills and dedication.
As a result, many doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals have unionized and others are considering unions as a way to improve both their working conditions and the care they provide to patients. Recent efforts to unionize include doctors and clinicians who work for Allina, a medical provider that serves patients in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
What challenges might doctors and nurses face when forming a union?
While lower-level healthcare workers are much more commonly represented by unions, healthcare professionals can also organize for union representation and enjoy the benefits of organized collective negotiations with management. But why haven’t they?
Professionals often mistakenly believe that they cannot form a union. Or, they believe that such a lofty professional should not have to be organized in order to obtain the professional benefits they seek. Sometimes professionals even believe it is not “appropriate” for them to organize.
At one time, teachers also had the same philosophy. However, studies show that unionized teachers earn higher salaries and have better benefits and working conditions than many non-unionized teachers. And health professionals are catching on.
Management may tell healthcare professionals that they are prohibited from sharing pay or other information. This is not only false, but illegal. Healthcare institutions that do so may be found guilty of unfair labor practices.
Even with these challenges, a union can be a crucial factor in promoting a healthy work environment for doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. Doctors and nurses considering unionizing may want to speak to an attorney with experience in organizing and in representing labor unions to learn more about how they can protect their rights.
Unions empower healthcare professionals to negotiate for better working conditions, policies and pay. By working together, they can provide better support for healthcare professionals, allowing those professionals to better care for their patients. “Strength through Unity.”