doctors' union

A packed, standing-room-only session at the American College of Surgeons took up unionization and professional autonomy, signaling growing interest among physicians in collective bargaining. Attendees discussed how organizing could give surgeons more say over working conditions, staffing and clinical decisions amid mounting pressures on the profession.

The union representing about 150 doctors at Allina Health's Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids and its Unity campus in Fridley, Minnesota, announced a tentative agreement on a first contract with the health system. The deal follows a four-day strike by the physicians, who have been pushing for improved working conditions and bargaining rights.