Physicians at MultiCare Auburn (Wash.) Medical Center are seeking unionization, reports The Olympian.
This month, they are set to vote on whether to start a local chapter of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists. If the physicians vote in favor of unionization, Washington state will have its first union for private physicians, according to the article.
Theodros Gashaw, a representative of the Oakland, Calif.-based union, told The Olympian mail-in voting is set to begin Wednesday, with the result determined in two weeks.
Virginia Stowell, MD, a general surgeon at Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare who has been part of the union efforts, said that if a union is formed, potential issues for negotiations include more autonomy in directing patient care, negotiating wages, benefits and working conditions and forming a well-defined grievance process, according to the report.
In a statement emailed to The Olympian, MultiCare said the "happiness and well-being" its employees are priorities, and that "we work hard to listen to and collaborate with our employees.
"However, we recognize that employees have the right to form or join a union and will honor the decision they make on that issue. We encourage all potential members of this union to vote their conscience when casting their ballot in the coming weeks."
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