Medical residents and fellows affiliated with Brown University and employed at Care New England and Brown University Health hospitals in Rhode Island are taking steps toward unionization.
On Nov. 15, physicians filed two separate petitions with the National Labor Relations Board, seeking elections to decide whether to join the Service Employees International Union's Committee of Interns and Residents.
The union filed one petition on behalf of 229 interns, residents, chief residents, and fellows who work at Care New England's Butler, Women and Infants and Kent hospitals. It filed another petition on behalf of 721 interns, residents, chief residents, and fellows employed at Brown University Health, formerly known as Lifespan Health, who work at Rhode Island Hospital.
The NLRB provides various paths to forming a union. According to the labor board's website, the NLRB will conduct an election if at least 30 percent of workers sign cards or a petition indicating their support for unionization. Workers would then vote on whether to unionize. Employers may also voluntarily recognize a union based on signed union-authorization cards or other evidence.
Brown University Health shared the following statement with Becker's:
"We are aware that the residents and fellows at Brown University Health are planning a vote to decide if they wish to unionize. Our residents and fellows play a critical role in delivering high-quality care, and we greatly value their contributions. We remain committed to maintaining an open dialogue with them to support the ongoing quality of education and patient care. Above all, we are dedicated to fostering a positive and collaborative working environment for all of our employees."
Care New England shared the following statement with Becker's:
"Women and Infants, Kent and Butler hospitals each received a notice. They are reviewing the information."
In a news release shared with Becker's, the union said:
Physicians "say they want to form a union to gain a seat at the table to advocate for themselves and their patients, especially immigrant and refugee patients, and other folks coming from working-class communities of color who often face the highest barriers to care. Contending with rampant burnout, long hours, intense stints of night shifts, inadequate pay, overwork, and other issues, the doctors feel that their well-being is inseparable from the health of the people of Rhode Island."