Doctors at the state’s largest employer made history Wednesday afternoon.
Phoenix area primary care physicians overwhelmingly voted to form a union to collectively bargain with Banner Health for better pay, working conditions and patient protection.
Read more Phoenix PD starts sweeping audit into cops arrested for violent stop
The election created Arizona’s first physicians’ union at the state’s largest private employer.
Inside the National Labor Relations Board Region 28 office in central Phoenix, two NLRB officials opened and read aloud the votes of 215 mail-in ballots from Banner employees. Physicians voted to unionize, with 149 voting in favor and 66 voting against.
“I feel so honored to have been part of it,” said Dr. Syerra Lea, a former Banner doctor who was a leader in the unionizing effort. “I’m happy for all the healthcare workers in Arizona now. Having this happen at Banner, as the biggest employer in Arizona, I think is just going to remodel how all the healthcare organizations see their employees.”
While NLRB officials still need to certify the election, Banner physicians have formed Arizona’s only physicians union. Banner physicians first connected with the Union of American Physicians and Dentists more than 18 months ago after concern over a policy change. Under the policy, physicians’ success metrics were measured on how well the company was doing financially, rather than using patient care as the measure.
Working with UAPD, physicians and dentists nationwide have formed more than 30 bargaining units across more than 100 healthcare settings. UAPD represents more than 7,000 physicians across the country. Six UAPD bargaining units in California have formed through the state’s university system, among county and non-profit employees and an anesthesiologists’ corporation. Two UAPD bargaining units are in New Mexico: La Familia Health and Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services. No other physicians are organized in a Banner Health setting.
In late July, NLRB officials mailed ballots to the Valley’s Banner Health physicians in the Phoenix metro area. Nearly 270 Banner physicians and other practitioners were eligible to join and vote on forming the union: nurse practitioners, physician assistants, family medicine physicians, internal medicine physicians and pediatricians. Then, on Wednesday morning, NLRB officials, UAPD representatives, Banner physicians and Banner attorneys and representatives shuffled into a courtroom-like setup on the 14th floor of a central Phoenix office building to count those ballots.
A total of 226 ballots were returned to the NLRB. Banner attorneys challenged 11 ballots, arguing that those employees were in the process of leaving the company when they voted, and two ballots were void because they lacked the required signatures. Ultimately, it didn’t matter. NLRB officials counted 149 ballots in favor of the petition and only 66 against it.
Read more Outrage! Residents vent on cops who punched cheerleader in the face
“I’m elated,” said Dr. Justin Watkins, a Banner physician. “We felt like we had the support to win, but it’s really gratifying to see it come through. It was an overwhelming victory. It feels really good.”
UAPD organizer Sebastian Gomez said that after the NLRB official certifies the election, the union will request to bargain with the NLRB to begin the collective bargaining process with the company. That’ll happen as soon as next week. Gomez isn’t expecting any election challenges from Banner as the company’s representatives signed off on the election count Wednesday afternoon.
“There’s no stopping. We want to use the momentum to drive right into negotiations,” Gomez said.
In a statement to New Times, Banner Health recognized that the majority of physicians voted to be represented by the UAPD.
“We respect that decision, and if the results are certified by the National Labor Relations Board we’ll consider our next steps in meeting our obligations to the Union, our clinicians and the community we serve,” the company wrote. “We remain deeply committed to the culture we have built together, which is grounded in trust, respect and a shared dedication to our patients and communities. The contributions our clinicians and team members make every day are what make Banner exceptional, and that will not change.”
Do you have information about this story? Contact the reporter on Signal at 623-295-9472 or over email at [email protected].
Read more Ka-BOOM! Phoenix lands the 6th spot in boomtowns across the country