Doctor Unions
By 
Traditionally, doctors have been a right-wing force in American life. The American Medical Association long led the fight against universal healthcare in this country. But that is beginning to change because the corporatization of America has reached the doctors and they are unhappy about being treated as bad as every other worker in this country.
In the latest sign of growing frustration among professionals, doctors employed by a large nonprofit health care system in Minnesota and Wisconsin have voted to unionize.
The doctors, roughly 400 primary and urgent-care providers across more than 50 clinics operated by the Allina Health System, appear to be the largest group of unionized private-sector physicians in the United States. More than 150 nurse practitioners and physician assistants at the clinics were also eligible to vote and will be members of the union, which will be represented by a local of the Service Employees International Union.
The result was 325 to 200, with 24 other ballots challenged, according to a tally sheet from the National Labor Relations Board, which conducted the vote.
In a statement, Allina said, “While we are disappointed in the decision by some of our providers to be represented by a union, we remain committed to our ongoing work to create a culture where all employees feel supported and valued.”
The doctors complained that chronic understaffing was leading to burnout and compromising patient safety.
“In between patients, your doctor is dealing with prescription refills, phone calls and messages from patients, lab results,” said Dr. Cora Walsh, a family physician involved in the organizing campaign.
I really wonder how this will go if this grows. The pilots are probably the best analogy–a labor elite in a highly unionized industry that doesn’t always have very good relations with the more working class members of that industry, but with possibilities for solidarity. Of course unionization also does not mean liberal politics and the pilots also tend to be a good example of this. So I suppose that I am hoping every doctor unionizes but I am skeptical that this would really transform the medical industry into a bastion of union progressivism.