Here are three recent updates on physician unions and unionization efforts since Oct. 1, 2024, as reported by Becker's:
1. Medical Residents and fellows at four Rhode Island hospitals affiliated with Brown University's Warren Alpert School of Medicine in Providence filed a Nov. 15 petition with the National Labor Relations Board to form a union. The residents and fellows work across Brown University Health, formerly known as Lifespan Health, and Care New England. If recognized by health system leaders, the bargaining units will represent 721 and 229 residents and fellows at Brown and Care New England, respectively.
2. Primary care physicians at Massachusetts General and Brigham Women's hospitals, both a part of Mass General Brigham in Boston, also filed a petition to unionize with the NLRB Nov. 15. Physicians cited burnout and increased "corporatization" as reasons driving the unionization. If the physicians vote to unionize, the bargaining unit would include 400 members, the largest union of attending physicians in Massachusetts.
3. Physician residents at Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine, represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents, accepted their first union contract on Oct. 2. More than 99% of union members voted in favor of the contracts after over a year of negotiations. The contract is the first of its kind for medical residents in the state, which includes a 25% salary increase among other benefits.