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The share of quickly at a time when organized with other professions. The Conversation U.S. asked , a Washington University in St. Louis pulmonologist and management professor, to explain why the number of physicians joining unions is growing—a trend that appears likely to continue.

How long have there been health care unions?

U.S. nurses first . Today, about , of unionization in all professions.

The first physicians' union formed in 1934, when hospital residents—doctors in training who tended then, as now, to be paid relatively little and forced to work long hours—organized to . For the next eight decades, those unions grew slowly.

But the pace has picked up. The share of doctors who belong to unions rose from . By 2024, an estimated .

This swift growth contrasts with declining union membership overall. The share of American workers in unions , from 20.1% to 9.9%, between 1983 and 2024.

are particularly interested in joining unions. Nearly 2 in 3 have said they . Membership in the Committee of Interns and Residents, a chapter of Service Employees International Union, to 37,000 between late 2024 and early 2025. By September 2025, the union to more than 40,000.

Several other U.S. unions also represent physicians. Doctors Council, which is also affiliated with Service Employees International Union, . The Union of American Â鶹ÒùÔºicians and Dentists, part of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, says it has .

Aren't doctors too rich for labor organizing?

Just like labor unions that represent electricians or teachers, unions that represent doctors seek better working conditions, higher pay and better benefits for their members. While the , about , their compensation varies widely depending on their medical specialty. A pediatric surgeon, for example, can earn .

Despite their high wages, according to a , as many as 15% of physicians said they had cut back on their personal expenses, and 40% expected to delay retirement for financial reasons. The education and training required to become a doctor is lengthy and expensive, often leading to large amounts of student debt.

Additionally, many physicians are compensated for patient visits and not for work done outside of the exam room. The extra hours needed to document work, address patient concerns and maintain continuing education are often uncompensated, significantly reducing physicians' effective hourly earnings.

Other unions advocate for higher wages and better conditions in well-compensated professions.

The is an example of a union with highly paid members that still advocates for their increased compensation. NFL players now .

Baseball players earn even more. They have a median salary of , and by the Major League Baseball Players Association, a union.

Why would doctors join unions?

An conducted in 1983 found that 75.8% of physicians were owners of their primary clinical practice. Four decades later, nearly by health care systems or other corporations.

As employees, physicians are now eligible to unionize and may have an interest in doing so to bargain with employers who set working conditions and compensation.

Residents and fellows, on the other hand, have been employees for much longer because of the structure of their training programs. Residents work longer hours, are paid significantly less and are obligated to complete their training programs in order to attain specialty certification.

These differences help explain the longer history of labor organizing for physician trainees.

Surveys point to several other possible causes besides concerns about employers.

An American Medical Association physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants in 2022 reflected rates of burnout exceeding 50% in several key specialties. More than half of those responding said they felt undervalued by their employer.

In 2023, the University of Michigan's Center for Health and Research Transformation surveyed over 29,000 Michigan physicians. About 85% of them said administrative and regulatory requirements were a .

The widespread adoption of over the past 25 years, which has improved some aspects of medical diagnosis and treatment, has also given doctors more administrative responsibilities. Doctors spend or doing related administrative tasks for every hour they spend with patients, according to one estimate.

Keeping the records up to date can .

Are doctors worried about job security?

In recent years, nurse practitioners and physician assistants have previously reserved for doctors. saw patients for about 1 in 4 medical appointments, according to a 2023 study, up from around 1 in 5 a decade earlier.

Given between physicians and other kinds of health care providers, this trend raises concerns about the potential for health care employers to employ fewer doctors to save money on staff salaries.

Separately, there are growing concerns about the potential for the use of artificial intelligence and automation to today.

Can labor organizing harm patients?

In April 2025, the American College of Â鶹ÒùÔºicians, which has 160,000 members, released a position paper with for doctors.

This group felt compelled to encourage the ethical engagement of its members in the midst of labor organizing because their work is often lifesaving and can be dangerous to disrupt due to strikes or other labor actions.

No study has empirically evaluated whether a doctor's union membership affects their patients' health. However, a 2022 meta-analysis of 17 studies when health care workers go on strike.

Despite the potential benefits, that unionization may create divides among physicians, interfere with their ability in some cases to negotiate directly with their employers, and add layers of bureaucracy that don't do patients or medical professionals any good.

Do doctors ever go on strike?

It's in the U.S., but that could be changing.

In January 2025, 70 doctors who belong to the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association against Portland, Oregon-based Providence Health after more than a year of failed contract negotiations.

The strike lasted 27 days, delaying some elective procedures and making some emergency room wait times longer. Some patients . The agreement the hospital ultimately reached with physicians boosted pay, expanded sick leave and included a commitment to change staffing models.

In June 2025, for the first time in the state's history. Members of the Doctors Council SEIU union were protesting after more than 18 months of failed negotiations for a new contract. The doctors, who all work for the of hospitals, health clinics and urgent care sites, are seeking higher compensation, smaller workloads and more support staff.

Although no timeline has been announced, union members have authorized a . As of early September 2025, those negotiations were ongoing.