Resident physicians and fellows at several health systems in the Northeast are pressing leaders to address their bargaining concerns, including pay and working conditions.
The physicians, represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents, work at Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham, Cambridge (Mass.) Health Alliance and The University of Pennsylvania Health System, the clinical arm of Penn Medicine in Philadelphia.
Mass General Brigham physicians plan to hold simultaneous rallies on Labor Day at Cardinal Cushing Memorial Park and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, according to a union news release shared with Becker's.
The actions mark their first rallies since gaining union representation last year. The Committee of Interns and Residents, part of the SEIU, represents about 2,500 trainees at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass Eye and Ear, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Salem Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Boston.
Union members say their core priorities in contract negotiations include improved training conditions that directly affect patient care, improvements to their healthcare plan, access to reproductive technologies and a livable wage. "By prioritizing resident physicians' financial and physical well-being, they [MGB] can implement the best practices for their patients," the union statement said.
A Mass General Brigham spokesperson told Becker's the health system respects trainees' rights to hold an informational picket and is committed to bargaining in good faith for a fair, equitable contract that supports both trainees and patients.
"We want to assure patients and families that they will be able to access the hospital without interruption during this time," the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, about 60 resident physicians and fellows held a rally Aug. 28 at Cambridge Hospital, part of Cambridge Health Alliance, according to a union news release shared with Becker's. The action took place as the union has been in negotiations with Cambridge Health Alliance since April.
Amid negotiations, physicians have expressed their concerns about what they say are low resident pay, balancing extreme hours and long stints of night shifts, and accessing mental healthcare. "A fair contract with CIR is about ensuring that Cambridge Hospital residents are well and that we're able to take care of our families — and that's inseparable from patient care," José Domínguez, MD, said in the union release.
"We routinely conduct market studies and are committed to providing competitive salaries for our employees across all job roles," Cambridge Health Alliance spokesperson David Cecere wrote in a statement shared with Becker's.
"We are making every effort to come to an agreement with CIR and have included many benefits in our proposals," Mr. Cecere wrote. "We are confident that our positions are fair, support outstanding patient care, and reflect respect for the tremendous contributions our resident physicians and interns provide to patient care."
At the University of Pennsylvania Health System, resident physicians and fellows took action Aug. 30 to bring attention to their nearly yearlong negotiations for a first contract, according to a union news release shared with Becker's.
The release said residents presented a petition requesting that the UPenn bargaining team return to the negotiating table to finalize a fair agreement.
Physicians have been in negotiations with the health system since voting to unionize last year. Union members say they seek "a fair living wage for the doctors who work the longest hours and provide the majority of patient care at UPenn."
A Penn Med spokesperson shared the following statement with Becker's: "We have continued to bargain in good faith with CIR/SEIU and will not work on that process through the media. We look forward to reconvening with union representatives at the next bargaining session on Sept. 17 and finalizing a fair and equitable contract for Penn Medicine's housestaff."