Resident and fellow physicians of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford Health Care, represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents, held a rally July 19 amid contract negotiations.
The physicians are seeking a fair contract that prioritizes patient and physician well-being, according to a union news release shared with Becker's.
The release also states that physicians seek to address what they say is inadequate pay for the Bay Area as they struggle to afford basic necessities such as food, childcare and housing.
Union members and Stanford Health Care have been in negotiations for a new labor contract for seven months, according to the release. Resident and fellow physicians at Stanford Health Care voted in favor of representation by the Committee of Interns and Residents, a local chapter of the Service Employees International Union, last year.
Stanford Health Care shared the following statement with Becker's: "Stanford Health Care respects the rights of our housestaff (residents and fellows) to participate in activities like a unity break, as part of ongoing union contract negotiations. The SHC bargaining team is committed to the negotiation process and reaching an agreement that supports our housestaff and their continued education and clinical training. As of July 18, we have had 14 bargaining sessions and reached nine tentative agreements.
"Throughout negotiations we continue to reinforce our commitment on a number of important topics, from prioritizing highly competitive wages and benefits to ensuring the safety of our housestaff if they are too fatigued to drive home at the end of their shift. This includes ensuring access to call rooms to rest or a transportation service (app-based or taxi cab voucher) to get them home safely from any of our main rotation sites. We look forward to continuing our important conversations and making further progress at our upcoming sessions."