Frequently Asked Questions
WHY DO DOCTORS NEED TO UNIONIZE?
Doctors' and patients' rights are under attack like never before. As hospitals, insurance companies and managed care companies amass power through consolidation and mergers, it is becoming harder and harder for doctors to be heard. Unions provide an effective voice for doctors at the bargaining table, in the community and in the political legislature to fight threats like unrealistic productivity agreements that reduce the amount of time doctors can spend with patients.
Only by increasing our numbers can we gain strength in this healthcare environment. And only by gaining strength, can we take back control of our profession. A union provides doctors with greater access to key decision makers in the government and medical communities.
AREN'T DOCTORS RIGHTS ALREADY SAFEGUARDED BY OTHER PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES?
Although other organizations provide important educational and professional services to doctors, they cannot provide doctors with the same protections and services as a union.
Under their current structures, other professional medical societies are prohibited from entering into economic negotiations on behalf of their constituents. Only unions like Doctors Council and CIR (Committee of Interns and Residents) have a proven track record of collective bargaining representation for doctors.
IS IT LEGAL FOR DOCTORS TO ORGANIZE?
Federal law clearly permits salaried physicians (i.e. employees who receive a W-2 form from their employer) to be organized into a union. A union can negotiate wages, benefits, and working conditions, in addition to providing legal assistance to assure due process in instances of disputes with management.
Current anti-trust law prohibits unions from negotiating fees for private practice fee-for-service doctors. However, different state laws allow certain levels of involvement with individual practitioners. Please call Doctors Council at telephone number 212-532-7690 for more information.
WON'T A UNION STRAIN DOCTORS' RELATIONSHIPS WITH ADMINISTRATORS?
In today's world of changing medical economics, managed care companies increasingly are in control. To many, Medicine has become just another business; in consequence, doctors' compensation, working conditions and their methods of treatment are being dictated by third party payers. Often, hospital administrators are caught in the middle. Doctors unions should not be feared by management, rather they can offer administrators support for innovative programs that enhance the quality of patient care within their institutions.
A union provides a structure that enables doctors from all clinical services to voice their concerns and provide input regarding issues that affect them and their patients. The union can also facilitate the settlement of disputes between the administration and individual doctors so that workplace grievances do not become personal. Finally, any process that brings about communication and forges partnerships between health care administrators and health care providers enhances the vitality of the medical institution itself.