Resident physicians and fellows at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City are requesting voluntary recognition of their union, according to a news release from the Committee of Interns and Residents.
The release, which was shared with Becker's Nov. 1, states that Montefiore's more than 1,200 residents want immediate recognition to advocate for the resources they need to care for patients.
"So many of us chose to do our residency here because we want to work in the Bronx and with the diverse and historically underserved community that lives here — and we know we can do more. Our hope is that through our union, we can advocate for the resources we need to help improve healthcare access in the Bronx," Rex Tai, MD, a second-year internal medicine resident at Montefiore Medical Center, said in the release. "An investment in full staffing, sustainable working conditions and quality training is an investment in patient care."
The physicians are not officially unionized. If Montefiore does not voluntarily recognize the union, physicians would move toward official unionization and likely hold an official vote, a union spokesperson told Becker's.
Montefiore provided the following statement to Becker's: "Montefiore Einstein is nationally recognized for clinical excellence, and for delivering patient-centered care to the most diverse urban areas in the country where the population is global, the disease burden is high and the need for quality care is great. Our residents come here, armed with a passion to address those challenges and a commitment to carry those experiences into the demanding roles they are likely to step into. Our success and our reputation are grounded in the world-class training we provide and the compassionate care we extend not just to our patients, but to our residents and all who make the selfless commitment to provide care here."
Montefiore Health System, which includes Montefiore Medical Center, is the university hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The Committee of Interns and Residents is a local of the Service Employees International Union.