Penn Medicine Residents Vote to Unionize

University of Pennsylvania residents and fellows voted to unionize, with the vast majority green-lighting the historic move.

“With 88% of participants voting in favor, the frontline Penn Medicine doctors are the first statewide to gain union representation,” according to the Committee of Interns and Residents/Service Employees International Union (CIR/SEIU), which reported Monday that the vote was 892 to 110.

Specifically, the residents and fellows at the Philadelphia health system “look forward to advocating for the conditions they need to provide top-quality care without compromising their mental, physical, or financial wellbeing,” the union stated.

House staff unionization efforts continue to multiply across the country. Just last month, MedPage Today reported that house staff at Mass General Brigham in Boston will proceed with their own unionization efforts despite a salary bump.

Kendall Major, MD, an internal medicine resident at Penn Medicine, told MedPage Today that house staff are thinking about their goals in two ways — advocating for patients in terms of factors like the design of new buildings and resource allocation, and advocating for themselves when it comes to salaries and benefits.

“We are the ones on the frontlines working 80 hours a week,” Major said, adding that it’s important “that we have a seat at the negotiating table.”

A Penn Medicine spokesperson said in a statement provided to MedPage Today via email that house staff voted for union representation in an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on May 3-5. The statement noted that the result has not been certified. Penn Medicine has been informed the process can take up to 7 business days, according to the statement.

“We are proud of Penn Medicine’s long history as home to many top residency and fellowship programs, and we have appreciated the ongoing opportunity to hear directly from residents about their concerns during this unionization campaign,” the spokesperson said. “We have an obligation to stay true to our shared goals to provide the very best care to our patients, and to ensure that new physicians are able to train in an environment that allows them resources to flourish academically, professionally, and personally.”

“We respect our trainees’ collective decision and remain committed to continuing our work to improve their training experience and ensure that they are fully supported during these transformative years of their medical careers,” the spokesperson added.

“Getting 892 people — inspiring them to come out and vote — is really a testament to how much we needed this union at Penn Medicine,” Major told MedPage Today, adding that residents and fellows are hopeful that their win will inspire others in what has become a nationwide conversation.

“This is bigger than just the University of Pennsylvania,” she said. “I’m hopeful that we will see many, many more to come.” she said.