Resident and fellow physicians employed by Washington, D.C.-based George Washington University have voted to join the Committee of Interns and Residents, a local of the Service Employees International Union.
Voting physicians voted 253-16 in favor of unionization, according to an April 27 CIR/SEIU news release. More than 450 residents and fellows were eligible to vote.
The vote follows an organizing effort that kicked off early last fall, according to the union release. Physicians say they are struggling financially due to rising inflation and stagnant pay and hope to address that in contract negotiations. They also say they are overworked and regularly work more than 80 hours per week.
"This win is not just ours, but it's for our patients and future GW residents and fellows," Maryssa Miller, MD, an internal medicine resident, said in the union release. "Through our union, we hope to help transform our medical training into a system that supports and empowers residents, allowing us and our patients to thrive."
In a statement shared with DCist/WAMU April 27 before the final count came in, a spokesperson for George Washington University said the university is "committed to supporting and training residents and fellows," regardless of the election outcome.
Separately, nurses at George Washington University have launched a unionization drive.