Members of the Committee of Interns and Residents and George Washington University Hospital in Washington have reached a tentative labor agreement, averting a potential strike.
Five things to know:
1. CIR, a local of the Service Employees International Union, announced the tentative deal on its Facebook page Dec. 16.
2. The deal includes substantial pay increases, as well as a $1,000 annual stipend for mental health and physician wellness, the union said, according to radio station WTOP. It also includes a $4,000 ratification bonus.
3. After agreeing to the deal, the union called off a three-day strike that was slated to begin Dec. 17, according to The Washington Post. Hundreds of resident physicians were expected to participate.
4. The deal includes "a range of new enhancements that address the union's concerns, including compensation and support for mental health," Shannon McClendon, executive director of media relations at GWU, said in a statement shared with Becker's.
"The university is grateful for the continued dedication of clinical staff in providing patients with the highest quality of care."
5. Jason Robart, MD, a resident in anesthesiology at GW Hospital, called the agreement "historic" and credited "[e]very person who signed a union card or a petition, every chant, every sign we held up outside the hospital and even our willingness to withhold our labor" in securing the contract.