In “Physicians Need to Unionize Now,” Medscape’s Melissa Walton-Shirley writes about the urgent need for physician unionization. She identifies UAPD an organization that is helping get that done.
The Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD), which was organized in the early 1970s, has grown into the largest union representing licensed doctors in America. One of their first achievements was a successful strike that prevented a 500% increase in malpractice fees for anesthesiologists.
In November 2020, the UAPD organized more than 100 doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners from urgent care centers across the Multicare system in Washington State to strike for 2 days against unsafe working conditions, including inadequate PPE.
By email, Stuart Bussey, president of the UAPD, wrote, “Physicians have become increasingly frustrated with not having a voice in management decisions that could improve patient care and workplace safety, especially during a pandemic.” He has seen union membership among public and private care physicians grow and believes the trend “will continue as more and more recognize the benefits of collective bargaining.”