--- title: Doctors fight for union rights at University Hospitals in Cleveland description: The AWF Union Podcast was joined on today’s show by Dr. Valerie Fouts-Fowler, Dr. Lauren Beene and Dr. Jennifer Snyder from Concerned UH Hospitals. image: https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/AWF-blog-image-template_red_AWF.jpg --- 1 min read Season 6, Episode 144 # Doctors fight for union rights at University Hospitals in Cleveland [ awfblog ](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/author/awfblog) July 21, 2025 [Organizing](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/organizing) [America's Work Force Union Podcast](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/americas-work-force-union-podcast) [AWF](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/awf) ![AWF-Blogo-Logos-Template-400x400_AWF](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AWF-Blogo-Logos-Template-400x400_AWF.jpg?width=407&height=407&name=AWF-Blogo-Logos-Template-400x400_AWF.jpg)   Guest Name: --- Dr. Valerie Fouts-Fowler | Dr. Lauren Beene | Dr. Jennifer Snyder Guest Website: --- [Concerned UH Physicians](https://concerneduhphysicians.org/)  Guest Social Media: --- [ Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578004203249&sk=about) Supportive Documents: --- Dr. Valerie Fouts-Fowler, Dr. Lauren Beene and Dr. Jennifer Snyder from [Concerned UH Physicians](https://concerneduhphysicians.org/) joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss their efforts to unionize physicians at University Hospitals in Cleveland, the challenges faced during the organizing process, the retaliation they experienced and the importance of unions in healthcare. The doctors explained the motivation for unionizing, citing systemic problems that hindered patient care and caused colleagues to suffer. According to Fouts-Fowler and Beene, they were fired for their organizing efforts, for allegedly misusing a provider app containing physician contact information. They argued this information was not the reason for their termination, as other doctors widely use the app. The terminations, they believe, were a clear attempt to discourage unionization efforts. Despite the setbacks, the physicians reported growing support for unionization among their colleagues. Beene noted that while some doctors are afraid to openly support the union, many find ways to help behind the scenes. They emphasized that their fight is about improving their working conditions, ensuring better patient care and addressing the critical physician shortage in Northeast Ohio. The three physicians highlighted the broader implications of their struggle, framing it as part of a national healthcare issue. Snyder said the physician shortage is critical, with patients facing long wait times for specialized care. They said unionization is crucial for protecting frontline workers, ensuring fair compensation and maintaining quality healthcare services in the face of financial challenges and potential budget cuts. Listen to the full episode above to hear more about the doctors' fight for union rights at University Hospitals. --- America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues. America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers. - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ##### SUBSCRIBE ON: --- [![Group 342](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/Apple%20Podcasts%20Button-Dark.png?width=171&name=Apple%20Podcasts%20Button-Dark.png)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/id1511224946) [![Group 341](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/Spotify%20Button-Dark.png?width=100&name=Spotify%20Button-Dark.png)](https://open.spotify.com/show/0GzkHxFSBxiXvuX0lZpQBn) [![Group 343](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20343.png?width=135&name=Group%20343.png)](https://www.iheart.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast-62567752/) [![Group 339](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20339.png?width=110&name=Group%20339.png)](https://www.pandora.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/PC:47979) [![Group 397](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20397.png?width=125&name=Group%20397.png)](https://americasworkforceradiopodcast.podbean.com/) [![Group 397](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/YouTube_button.png?width=125&name=YouTube_button.png)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuQo1PAtRAel1_tS7-PQOkA)   #### [Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen on the Union Pacific Merger Threat](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/brotherhood-of-railroad-signalmen-on-the-union-pacific-merger-threat) : July 6, 2026 # Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen on the Union Pacific Merger Threat Brandon Elvey, Secretary-Treasurer of the [Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen](https://www.brs.org/),... [Read More](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/brotherhood-of-railroad-signalmen-on-the-union-pacific-merger-threat) #### [AFL-CIO's Fred Redmond on the Convention, AI and America at 250](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/afl-cios-fred-redmond-on-the-convention-ai-and-america-at-250) : July 3, 2026 # AFL-CIO's Fred Redmond on the Convention, AI and America at 250 Fred Redmond, Secretary-Treasurer of the [AFL-CIO](https://awf.labortools.com/), joined the [America's Work Force...](https://awf.labortools.com/) [Read More](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/afl-cios-fred-redmond-on-the-convention-ai-and-america-at-250) #### [C/COBCTC's Dorsey Hager on Drones, Data Centers and Growth](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/c/cobctcs-dorsey-hager-on-drones-data-centers-and-growth) : July 2, 2026 # Dorsey Hager on Drones, Data Centers and Central Ohio's Building Boom Dorsey Hager, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the [Columbus/Central Ohio...](https://columbusconstruction.org/) [Read More](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/c/cobctcs-dorsey-hager-on-drones-data-centers-and-growth) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "awfblog", "url" : "https://awf.labortools.com/listen/author/awfblog" }, "dateModified" : "2025-07-21T17:47:08.655Z", "datePublished" : "2025-07-21T17:47:08.000Z", "headline" : "Doctors fight for union rights at University Hospitals in Cleveland", "image" : [ "https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/AWF-blog-image-template_red_AWF.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://awf.labortools.com/listen/doctors-fight-for-union-rights-at-university-hospitals-in-cleveland", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/labor-tools-logo-white.png" }, "name" : "BMA Media" } } ```