The University of California-Riverside has voluntarily recognized the Committee of Interns and Residents, a local of the Service Employees International Union, as the exclusive representative of 138 resident and fellow physicians, according to August statements from the union and the university's school of medicine.
The recognition comes after the union was certified by the California Public Employment Relations Board July 30 to represent the physicians. UC Riverside physicians filed union authorization cards with the California Public Employment Relations Board June 4, after voting to unionize.
"I feel excited that we at UCR are joining an amazing community of union-represented resident physicians at other University of California sites," Samantha Glass, MD, chief family medicine resident physician, said in a news release. "I am confident that by unionizing we will be able to advocate and address issues affecting our daily lives."
The union cited concerns about pay, as well as housing and fuel costs, as part of the reason for the resident-led grassroots organizing effort. They will join more than 6,000 resident physicians from nearly every other University of California residency program, who are represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare.
The university's med school said administrators will begin the collective bargaining process with the union representatives "as soon as a timeline is determined."
Nationwide, the union represents more than 20,000 resident physicians and fellows.