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Comment on Joseph S. Bak’s “A New Affiliation Model: Do Psychologists Need to Prepare to Negotiate Collectively?” and John Mattiacci’s “Is There A Guild In Your Future?” in The Independent Practitioner, Summer 2002 |
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Professional Practice |
Sarah Benolken, Ph.D. |
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As a member of the New York State Psychological Association (NYSPA) who opposes our recent affiliation with the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), I was pleased to read Dr. Bak’s (2002) statement that “[i]t is probably inappropriate to expect our state associations, whose mandate is to represent the interests and preferences of a diverse constituency, to play a leadership role in promoting a controversial and revolutionary idea such as union affiliation” (p. 223). In New York, school psychologists, who by virtue of their employment are full members of NYSUT, along with psychologists who are members of other labor unions, seem to have been the primary supporters of NYSPA’s union affiliation. In fact, Dr. June Feder, who was co-chair of the initial task force NYSPA organized to contemplate a union affiliation, has been employed for many years as a psychologist by NYSUT’s parent organization, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). Just as school psychologists represent a minority of psychologists, union members represent a minority of potential clients in New York State. Dr. Bak rationalizes New York’s choice for union affiliation by pointing out that New York has the most heavily unionized labor force in the country. This is true. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (2001), 27.7% of employed persons in New York are organized in unions. But this also means that 72.3% of all employed people in New York are NOT members of or represented by any labor unions. According to Dr. Bak, “the affiliation with NYSUT has assisted NYSPA in its efforts in the areas of marketing, recruitment, enhanced member benefits and in the promotion of its legislative agenda.” (p. 222). I wish he had included data to support his assertions regarding NYSUT’s assistance with marketing and recruitment, as to date NYSPA has not provided its membership with any information demonstrating a post-affiliation improvement in either area. The “enhanced benefits” NYSPA members have received as a consequence of the union affiliation include free secondary professional liability coverage and a free $10,000 group term life insurance policy. In addition, legal services and financial counseling programs, catastrophic medical coverage, long term care insurance, disability insurance, and a union dental plan are all available for purchase by NYSPA members, as are life, car, and homeowner insurance. Finally, NYSUT offers travel, car rental, and hotel discounts that are similar to those offered by APA (NYSPA, 2002). The option to purchase standard major medical/ hospitalization insurance is not included in the NYSUT benefits package. Both Dr. Bak and Dr. Mattiacci (2002) allude to health insurance as a major potential benefit available to psychologists who join unions. Dr. Bak describes the unionization of podiatrists by the OPEIU as providing “a major medical health insurance plan that is rich in benefits and very competitively priced” (p.222), and Dr. Mattiacci states that the OPEIU’s National Guild of Medical Professionals has developed “low cost health insurance products” for its members (p. 224). However, according to a recent report in Psychotherapy Finances (2002), the National Guild’s fledgling health insurance program for its chiropractor, podiatrist and social worker members was closed down by the Texas Department of Insurance in May 2002, with many claims unpaid (p. 4-5). One outcome of NYSUT’s assistance to NYSPA in promoting its legislative agenda is known. With the strong support of its members, NYSPA lobbied unsuccessfully for many years to obtain legislative enactment of a stand-alone psychology scope of practice bill. With NYSUT’s help, a scope of practice bill finally passed both houses of the New York State Legislature in June 2002. However, NYSPA members were surprised to learn, after the fact, that this was an omnibus scope of practice bill, licensing not only psychologists, but also four previously unlicensed occupations: mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, creative arts therapists, and psychoanalysts. These new masters-level groups will be able to provide psychotherapy and diagnostic testing. Those of us who oppose the union affiliation regret that our state association actively collaborated in the passage of legislation that we believe will only benefit the managed care industry, by adding a large number of lower-fee workers to their potential provider pool at a time when many mental health professionals are opting out of panels, making them less desirable. Without the assistance of NYSUT and NYSPA, we doubt that the masters-level groups would have been able to see this legislation passed. We think the status quo -- statutory title protection for psychologists – would have been better for independent practice in New York. While we would not actively oppose masters-level licensure, we think it is contrary to our self-interest to aid and abet it, as NYSPA leadership, with NYSUT’s assistance, seems to have done, without informing the membership until after the fact. I think the main point Drs. Bak and Mattiacci want to convey is that in the future, some form of unionization may provide psychologists with an organizational platform from which to bargain collectively with managed healthcare organizations over contracts, fees, and treatment. Collective bargaining with managed care companies is of no interest to the growing number of psychologists who have resigned from managed care work to pursue other independent practice options, but for psychologists who participate in managed care, the idea of collective bargaining must seem reasonable and even hopeful. However, it may be prudent to consider the idea of collective bargaining in view of the current economic status of the managed care industry. For example, Psychotherapy Finances (2002) reports that shares in Magellan, which covers one-third of the total managed care market, have lost close to $15 in value since September 11th. (Their closing value as of August 8, 2002 was $1.25.) Psychotherapy Finances goes on to report that Standard and Poor’s (S&P) has reduced Magellan’s credit rating to B and placed them on “CreditWatch.” The article quotes S&P’s description of Magellan’s stock as “[s]afety is limited…[v]ery vulnerable to loss of principal value” and “negative implications because of declining operating performance, high leverage and problematical liquidity.” (p.2). This picture is inconsistent with the “marketplace clout” (p.220) Dr. Bak ascribes to the managed care industry in his introductory remarks. It is difficult to imagine why any labor group would want to bargain with a corporation dissolving into bankruptcy. I welcome Dr. Bak’s conclusion that psychology’s unionization interests are better served by freestanding organizations like Vermont’s PsychAlliance than they are by state professional associations. I hope New York supporters of the unionization movement will act on his advice and form a new organization, separate from NYSPA, to affiliate with NYSUT. Such a move would permit our state association to return to its original mission, “to advance the science and practice of psychology while supporting excellence in education, training, research, advocacy and service.” (NYSPA, 2002). References Bak, J.S. (2002). A New Affiliation Model: Do Psychologists Need to Prepare to Negotiate Collectively?” The Independent Practitioner, pp. 220-223, Summer 2002. Mattiacci, J. (2002).“Is There A Guild In Your Future?” The Independent Practitioner, pp. 223-224, Summer 2002. New York State Psychological Association (2002). Mission Statement. http://www.nyspa.org/about/mission.html. New York State Psychological Association (2002). NYSPA Benefits. http://www.nyspa.org/join.join.html. Practice Issues: Union health plan debacle smacks social workers. In Psychotherapy Finances, J. Klein, Ed., pp.4-5. Vol.28/7, Issue 339 (July 2002). Managed Care: Magellan stock has fallen through the floor. In Psychotherapy Finances, J. Klein, Ed., p. 2. Vol.28/7, Issue 339 (July 2002). United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (2002). http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2105.html. |
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