Union will represent New Jersey physicians
Union will represent New Jersey physicians
The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 56 is entitled to a full hearing on its petition to represent doctors in Southern New Jersey working for Amerihealth, an HMO based in Trenton, NJ.
The Board's ruling was in response to the union's appeal of a decision made last January by the Board's Regional Director in Philadelphia, who dismissed the union's petition to represent doctors as "de facto employees" of HMOs and not as independent contractors.
"The fact that a majority of the National Labor Relations Board found that our appeal for a full hearing was justified shows that they understand the importance of this case and the effect a favorable ruling could have on health care delivery for working people, as well as on the whole national health care debate," said UFCW president Anthony Cinaglia.
"We anticipate that when we have the opportunity to make our case in the context of a full hearing, we will be able to convince the Board that doctors who treat patients should be able to make medical decisions, not big insurance companies and HMOs, and that the best way to achieve this goal is through the collective bargaining process," says Cinaglia.
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