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As more family physicians choose employment over private practice, more are also wrestling with the question of whether to join a union. Here's what to consider.

ANDY MARSO

Fam Pract Manag. 2024;31(6):11-16

 This content conforms to AAFP criteria for CME.

Author disclosure: no relevant financial relationships.
union ballot

Labor unions gained momentum in 2023 as high-profile strikes by auto workers, Hollywood writers, and Kaiser Permanente health care workers garnered headlines.1 That momentum also extended to physicians, with Allina Health employees in Minnesota and Wisconsin forming what's believed to be the largest group of unionized private-sector physicians in the U.S.2

More physicians than ever are now employees rather than independent operators,3 which means more physicians than ever are now eligible to join unions. With burnout levels high,4 many of those employed physicians may consider unionizing in the years to come if they believe it will improve their working conditions. Here's what family physicians should know if they're considering joining a union.

KEY POINTS

  • As the share of employed physicians increases and burnout burgeons, more family physicians are forming and joining unions to try to improve their working conditions.

  • Little data exists on the effect of union membership on physician job satisfaction, or the effect of physician strikes on patient care.

  • When deciding whether to join a union, physicians should weigh a number of factors, including their state's labor laws, their level of satisfaction with their working conditions, and their comfort level with negotiating and potentially striking.

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