What is NWMU and how do we fit in?
Northwest Medicine United (NWMU) represents physicians and advanced practice providers across Oregon and Washington. We are affiliated with the national union AFT and focus on advocating for provider voices, professional standards, and sustainable patient care.
How much are dues?
Membership dues are one-half of one percent of wages, plus per-capita fees that support legal, organizing, and administrative resources. No dues are collected until a contract has been negotiated and ratified by members.
What does a union mean for me and my patients?
Unionizing gives providers a structured and legal way to negotiate working conditions, including compensation, benefits, scheduling, and clinical autonomy. Once a union election is won, employers are legally required to bargain and cannot make unilateral changes to terms and conditions of employment without bargaining.
You can review examples of improvements achieved by other unionized physicians and APPs to see what collective bargaining has made possible.
Could I be fired or lose benefits for joining?
State and Federal law, specifically the National Labor Relations Act, protects employees’ right to organize. Employers cannot legally retaliate or remove benefits because someone supports or joins a union. Without a union, working conditions can change at any time; with one, providers gain a collective voice in decisions that affect their work and patient care. (See NLRB Sections 7 and 8 for details.)
How can one contract address different departments across a hospital?
A collective bargaining agreement is designed to create a shared foundation of protections and benefits for all providers, a baseline, not a limit. Departments can still pursue specialty-specific improvements. Before bargaining begins, members help shape priorities through meetings, surveys, and direct input so each department’s needs are represented.
Who is eligible to vote?
Eligibility is determined by NLRB guidelines and may vary by situation. Generally, employed physicians providing inpatient care, and not serving in administrative roles, may be included. Typical eligibility requires at least 20% clinical work or a minimum number of recent work hours. In some cases, outpatient providers are organized in separate groupings.
I’m interested, what should I do next?
Email Contact@NWMU.org to connect with someone from the team. All conversations are confidential.