join us
Why join Doctors Council?
Our organization is dedicated to supporting and protecting the interests of our members.
Doctors across the country need a united voice to work with administration and management as equal partners on day-to-day issues that affect our jobs, the care we give to our patients, and the issues that affect our profession. Joining together in a union is the best way to realize change in your workplace and Doctors Council is a recognized leader in helping doctors to win the strongest voice and respect for themselves and their patients.
Our parent union, SEIU (Service Employees International Union) is the largest and fastest growing healthcare workers’ union in North America, with over 2.1 million members.The more doctors across the country join together in a united voice, the more we will be able to influence the issues that affect our lives and the lives of the patients and communities we serve.
"Doctors Council advocates for pay and benefits and protects physician rights when the inevitable disputes with management occur. Without our Union it would have been difficult to recruit and retain medical expertise that is essential to provide first rate care for our patients."
— Dr. John Keen, Radiology, Chicago, IL
How to join
If you are a doctor in a hospital or facility where doctors have elected to join together in Doctors Council, feel free to download a membership form here. Simply fill out the form, and either fax it to us at 855.362.7329, or mail to us at Doctors Council SEIU, 50 Broadway 11th Flr, Suite 1101, New York, NY 10004. Additionally, you may scan the form and email it to: info@doctorscouncil.org. If you have any questions, you may contact us at 855-DOC-SEIU or 212.532.7690.
Download membership formBecome a delegate
How to organize
Your right to unionize
Membership dues
Dues are an investment in our collective future. As unionized physicians, we have more power to maintain and change our working conditions and to fight for the betterment of our patients and healthcare. Dues provide valuable resources that help make this future possible, including by paying for staff, negotiations, arbitrations, office space, legal assistance and more.
“Unionization is imperative as health care has changed significantly over the last decade. Gone are the days of physician-owned hospitals and practices. What’s left are large corporations deciding how we practice medicine. With plummeting physician well-being, medicine has felt no longer mentally or physically safe. We decided it was our ethical obligation to ourselves and our patients to unionize to get our voices back.”
— Amanda Norris, DO, Family Medicine, Buffalo, Minnesota
Get in touch
Whether you require assistance, want to share ideas, or are interested in forming a union in your workplace, Doctors Council is here to support you. Use this form to connect with us. Through organizing, we increase our collective power and improve healthcare for all.
"I became a doctor to help people. One way to improve patient care is through Quality Improvement. Doctors want to be engaged meaningfully so that our input is listened to and so that the process results in real benefits for our patients. Our knowledge and leadership should be utilized as a valuable resource for our patients."
— Valerie Katz, MD, General Surgery, New York City
FAQ
What is a union?
What is collective bargaining?
What is the difference between negotiating with my employer now versus in a union? What are the benefits?
Will my employer retaliate against me for union activity?
Put very simply, a union is a group of employees coming together to improve their working conditions. Unionization is a legal process that empowers physicians to collectively bargain, a process that absent unionization, physicians do not have.
Collective bargaining is the process by which representatives of a labor union and representatives of an employer (or a group of employers) negotiate and reach agreements on various terms and conditions of employment for the physicians represented by the union. This negotiation process aims to establish a mutually acceptable contract, often referred to as a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), that outlines the rights, benefits, and working conditions of the employees.
There is no legal obligation for an employer to negotiate with an employee without a union. Forming a union allows for a collective voice in your practice and a legal obligation to bargain in good faith. In other words, an employer cannot simply say, “no.” They must bargain over working conditions including but not limited to scheduling, flexibility, physician autonomy, compensation, benefits, staffing, and job security.
Many doctors considering unionizing worry that their activity or support for a union could result in unwarranted attention, harming their career, visa status, or even professional relationships. Voting union is both lawful and confidential, and it carries no inherent risks to your visa status or work opportunities. The power of attending physicians coming together collectively to form unions is incredible–our collective strength in numbers safeguards against unfair targeting. Labor laws support our effort, as employer retaliation for union activity is unlawful. When we stand up together, there is real power for change. While employers may try to interfere and make it more difficult for us to access this power, our rights supersede all else.
To learn more about forming a union in your workplace, speak with a union organizer.
