Physician residents at Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine, who are represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents, have accepted their first union contract, according to an Oct. 2 report from NPR affiliate WHYY.
More than 99% of union members voted in favor of the contract after over a year of negotiations, the report said.
The Penn Medicine contract, which is the first such deal for medical residents in the state, includes a 25% salary increase, eight weeks of parental leave and transportation after long or late shifts.
"There were many moments when my colleagues and I felt dehumanized by an unrelenting system that often overlooks our humanity, and demoralized by oppressive structures that prevent us from providing the best care," Spenser Chen, MD, a Penn resident in medicine and pediatrics, said in a Sept. 25 union news release, after the health system and union reached a tentative agreement. "With the new contract in place, the progress we've made in improving our working conditions will translate into better healing environments for our patients."
"We are pleased to have successfully reached a contract agreement," a Penn Medicine spokesperson told Becker's in a statement. "While we do not comment on specifics of employment contracts, we value Penn Medicine’s residents as part of our dedicated workforce that provides exceptional patient care every day."