Resident physicians and fellows from three Philadelphia-based systems are considering unionizing.
More than 3,000 residents physicians and fellows at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Temple University Hospital, Jefferson Health and Jefferson's Einstein Healthcare Network will vote on whether to unionize, according to the Committee of Interns and Residents, which is affiliated with SEIU Healthcare.
"Due to chronic understaffing, extreme hours and an endemic lack of support, the physicians say it is currently impossible to maintain their own well-being in their roles caring for the majority of patients at safety-net hospitals across the city," the union said, according to a Nov. 21 report from the The Philadelphia Inquirer.
More than 300 residents at Wilmington, Del.-based ChristianaCare are also joining CIR/SEIU, making them the first unionized residents in the state, according to a Nov. 22 Facebook post from the union. Resident physicians and fellows at Penn Medicine, also in Philadelphia, organized with CIR/SEIU in October.
ChristianaCare has received the petition to form a residents' union, a system spokesperson said in a statement shared with Becker's.
"We recognize the right of all employees to vote on whether or not they want a union to represent them," the statement said. "We are committed to providing accurate information to help our residents make an informed decision."