Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Seattle Hospitalists Vote to Join AFT, Make State History

Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Swedish Medical Group hospitalists have voted to join Northwest Medicine United, AFT Local 6552, making history as the first physicians in the Providence system to unionize in Washington.

Swedish Medical Group is part of Providence Swedish, Providence’s health system in the western part of the state. Approximately 115 medical professionals across five campuses in the Seattle area participated in the union election.

“Physicians at Swedish Medical Group are organizing because they want a stronger voice in the decisions that affect patient care, physician autonomy and the future of healthcare,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten in a social media post. “I’m proud to stand with these hospitalists as they work to protect quality care and physician autonomy.”