3rd Philadelphia physician group votes to unionize

In what is becoming a harbinger of growing labor unrest among physicians, a third group of Philadelphia physicians has voted to join a union. Resident physicians and fellows at Jefferson Health voted to join the Committee of Interns and Residents, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, the committee said in a Jan. 14 Facebook post.

From a pool of 861 eligible voters, the vote was 552-73 in favor, according to the National Labor Relations Board

In a statement shared with Becker's, Jefferson said it respects the vote and "remain[s] committed to maintaining an environment of exceptional medical training, open communication and collaboration to ensure the success and well-being of our residents as we deliver outstanding patient care."

As the latest physician unionization action, resident physicians and fellows at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital follow their colleagues at Temple University Hospital and Jefferson's Einstein Healthcare Network, who recently voted to join CIR-SEIU as well.

Trishya Srinivasan, MD,  a second-year resident in internal medicine and member of the organizing committee, praised the unionization vote.

"This win finally provides us with a formal and unified voice and the right to secure a fair contract — one that prioritizes our ability to provide safe patient care, improve our training and lead fulfilling lives," she said in a CIR-SEIU news release shared with Becker's.

With this latest group of Philadelphia physicians unionizing, CIR-SEIU now represents nearly 81% of all resident physicians in the Philadelphia area, according to the union.

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