Bellingham, Wash., July 14, 2023 — About 85 nurse practitioners, midwives, and physician assistants at PeaceHealth filed to form a union today.
The action comes in response to three years of concerns, voiced to management, regarding the quality of care being delivered by the Washington-based non-profit health giant.
In recent months those issues have grown to include the healthcare organization’s long-term viability in Bellingham amid news reports of financial shortfalls, clinic closures, and layoffs.
The petition was filed with the National Labor Relations Board on Friday morning and will trigger an election within 45 days to determine if the providers can form a collective bargaining unit under the auspices of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD). If formed, a single bargaining unit would be able to voice concerns directly to the network’s top management on issues such as patient volumes, care, wages, benefits, and other issues.
“PeaceHealth is poorly managed so they are pressuring front-line medical providers to spend less time with their patients,” said Dr. Stuart Bussey, UAPD President. “That is assembly line care and it’s not good for patients or the community,” he added.
PeaceHealth operates more than 25 clinics in Bellingham and has medical centers, critical access hospitals and clinics across Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.
Contact Information:
Vivi Le, Communications Manager, vivi.le@uapd.com