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Advanced practice professionals (APPs) in the University of Michigan Health−Sparrow network have voted in favor of unionizing. The network includes at least 5 urgent care centers, according to its website. The new union local covers 213 nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and certified nurse midwives employed by the health system. A representative told the local Lansing State Journal that having a union means being able to negotiate for the best patient care practices. Overall, approximately 13.2% of U.S. healthcare workers report union membership, according to a study analyzing 2021 data, as published in JAMA.
Limited local response: “As PAs and NPs increasingly become the backbone of the ambulatory workforce, we are seeing isolated instances where they are utilizing collective bargaining to formalize their professional standing,” says Alan Ayers, President of Urgent Care Consultants and Senior Editor of JUCM. “While this is not yet a widespread phenomenon—there is actually a lot of complication in organizing—it’s been a highly localized response in certain health system environments to secure a structured voice in patient care. I first covered this in JUCM in 2022 and we continue to see it pop up on the radar.” Read Ayer’s assessment of unionization from the JUCM archives: Can PAs and NPs Unionize in Urgent Care Settings?