Bellingham, Wash., March 22, 2024 — Physicians and advanced practice clinicians employed at Sound Physicians who provide healthcare services at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center and PeaceHealth United General Medical Center have filed to unionize with the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD).
“A union would give us an effective voice to champion patient care and safety for all. Our intent is to partner with administration to ensure high quality and accessible healthcare. We believe that by joining the UAPD and working together with Sound Physicians and PeaceHealth, we can build a lasting legacy of high-quality, accessible healthcare for all in our community,” the providers said in a joint statement.
The petition was filed with the National Labor Relations Board on March 21, 2024, an election date and method will be agreed upon in the upcoming weeks. If a union is voted in, the bargaining unit will consist of 30 providers with the UAPD as their representative to negotiate workplace issues such as patient volumes, care, wages, benefits, and more.
“With rising pressures from healthcare systems comes a change in working conditions. In response, physicians and advanced practice clinicians are looking to unionize for a stronger voice in the workplace,” said Stuart Bussey, M.D., J.D., UAPD president. “It all comes down to the providers wanting to ensure they have the proper resources to care for their patients.”
About the Union of American Physicians & Dentists
The Union of American Physicians & Dentists (UAPD) has organized physicians and providers since 1972. With more than 5,000 members in California, New Mexico, Washington State, New York, and Washington D.C. UAPD is the largest union of licensed physicians and advanced practice clinicians nationwide. Members work for state and county governments, large healthcare organizations and nonprofit health systems, as well as providers in private practice. Affiliated with AFSCME and AFL-CIO, UAPD brings the strength of the labor movement to the aid of providers in the interest of better medicine for all. Learn more at www.uapd.com.