Boston, MA – According to a new study, “Trends in Labor Unionization Among US Health Care Workers”.” , 2009-2021”, published on December 27, 2022 in JAMA.
“This study is the first to systematically investigate the landscape of unionization among American healthcare workers and its associated economic effects,” said lead author Xiaojuan Li, PhD, an instructor in the Harvard Department of Population Medicine. Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health. Institute of care.
Union organizing efforts have resumed in the United States, and joining a union has been shown to improve conditions for workers in some industries. However, little is known about unionization and its economic effects among health care workers. It remains unclear how unionization in the health sector has changed over the years and what benefits, if any, health care workers derive from unionization.
To address this gap, the study team examined the prevalence of unionization among healthcare workers and its associations with employee compensation, non-monetary benefits and working hours across the healthcare workforce. health in the United States. The team studied healthcare workers who participated in the US Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey and Annual Social and Economic Supplement between 2009 and 2021. This nationally representative household survey allowed to obtain a sample of over 14,000 self-identified healthcare workers, including doctors and dentists, advanced practitioners, nurses, therapists, technicians and support staff.
Study researchers found that rates of unionization were low, with an overall prevalence of 13.2%, with no significant change from 2009 to 2021. Unionization was associated with better pay and benefits for health workers. Unionized workers reported earning $123 more per week than non-unionized workers, having better health insurance from their employer (both in terms of employer contribution and type of insurance plan), and having a greater chance of having a pension or other retirement benefits at work. However, compared to non-unionized workers, unionized workers reported slightly more weekly hours.
“The benefits associated with unionization are striking but not surprising,” said Ahmed Ahmed, a fourth-year medical student at Harvard Medical School and first author of the study. “Unions bargain collectively for their members, which appears to improve both employee pay and pay gaps between workers.”
“Future causal analysis of the relationships is needed, however,” Dr. Li said. Professional exhaustion.”
About
The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute Department of Population Medicine is a unique collaboration between Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Harvard Medical School. Point32Health is the parent company of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan. Established in 1992, it is the first medical school department in the United States based on a health plan. The Institute focuses on improving health care delivery and population health through innovative research and education, in partnership with health plans, delivery systems and public health agencies. .
The title of the article
Unionization trends among health care workers in the United States, 2009-2021
Publication date of articles
27-Dec-2022
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