by the El Reportero staff
More than 100 physicians gathered outside Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on July 23 to launch what organizers describe as the largest unionization effort by attending physicians in U.S. history, announcing a campaign to organize nearly 10,000 University of California doctors under SEIU Doctors United.
The San Francisco press conference, originally announced in a media advisory before the event, featured UCSF physicians alongside Assemblymember Matt Haney and other supporters. Doctors said they are seeking a stronger voice in decisions affecting patient care, staffing, workloads, medical education and research throughout the UC system.
The campaign comes just one week after the University of California reached a tentative statewide contract agreement with approximately 6,400 resident physicians and fellows represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU. Organizers said that agreement demonstrated the growing momentum for physician organizing across UC hospitals and clinics.
At the July 23 event, physicians described growing concerns over heavy patient loads, administrative burdens, burnout and what they characterized as declining physician autonomy. They argued that improving doctors’ working conditions would ultimately benefit patients by allowing physicians to spend more time delivering care and participating in decisions that affect clinical practice.
“Sometimes I do feel, especially as a primary care physician, overwhelmed,” one UCSF physician said, describing increasing demands on doctors within the health system. Other speakers said they believe collective bargaining would help physicians advocate more effectively for staffing levels, patient safety and quality of care.
The organizing effort reflects a broader shift within the medical profession. While attending physicians have historically been less likely to unionize than nurses or other healthcare workers, organizers say consolidation in healthcare, rising administrative demands and post-pandemic workplace pressures have prompted more doctors to consider collective bargaining.
The union campaign does not automatically create a bargaining unit. Organizers must first gather sufficient support from eligible physicians before seeking formal recognition through the federal labor relations process. University officials have not announced a position on the organizing drive itself, although UC recently praised collaborative labor negotiations following its tentative agreement with resident physicians.
If successful, the campaign would establish one of the nation’s largest unions representing attending physicians and could influence labor organizing efforts at academic medical centers across the country.
– Sources: KQED; University of California; SEIU Doctors United.
