A Colorado-based health care provider has agreed to pay $1.2 million to settle a case brought by the National Labor Relations Board over allegations that it unlawfully fired doctors who supported unionization efforts.
The settlement, approved on January 20 by the head of the NLRB’s Denver regional office, resolves claims that Peak Vista Community Health Centers terminated five physicians in mid-2024 after they objected to new unpaid overtime requirements and backed a campaign to unionize with the Union of American Physicians and Dentists.
Under the agreement, the five doctors will split the $1.2 million payout, which includes approximately $700,000 in back pay, interest, expenses, and tax adjustments, along with $500,000 in front pay in lieu of reinstatement. Two of the physicians will receive roughly $400,000 each, while the remaining three will collect between $100,000 and $200,000, reflecting differences in how quickly they secured new employment.
NLRB prosecutors alleged that the firings occurred just days after workers filed a petition seeking a union election, a timing that labor officials described as highly unusual in the medical field. Despite the dismissals, employees across Peak Vista’s 21 Colorado locations voted 49–15 in favor of unionization in January 2025.
Peak Vista has challenged the validity of the election, arguing that dentists should have been included in the bargaining unit. That issue remains unresolved, as the NLRB has not yet ruled on the challenge.
The case originated from charges filed by the physicians’ union, prompting the NLRB’s Denver office to bring formal complaints in May. Union counsel characterized the firings as a clear violation of federal labor law, noting that mass terminations immediately following an election petition are rarely defensible.
Peak Vista did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company was represented by Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, while the union was represented by Weinberg Roger and Rosenfeld PC. The NLRB’s Office of the General Counsel handled the prosecution internally.
The settlement closes multiple unfair labor practice cases pending before NLRB Region 27, though broader questions surrounding the union vote remain open.
