Members of the Committee of Interns and Residents at George Washington University Hospital in Washington have reached a tentative labor deal, averting a strike.
Here are five things to know about the agreement:
1. The tentative deal was announced on Facebook by CIR, a local of the Service Employees International Union, on Dec. 16.
2. The agreement will include substantial pay increases, a $4,000 ratification bonus and a $1,000 annual stipend for mental health and physician wellness, according to radio station WTOP.
3. A possible three-day strike was scheduled to begin Dec. 17, but was called off after the tentative agreement was reached, according to The Washington Post.
4. The deal includes "a range of new enhancements that address the union's concerns, including compensation and support for mental health," Shannon McClendon, executive director of media relations at GWU, said in a statement shared with Becker's.
"The university is grateful for the continued dedication of clinical staff in providing patients with the highest quality of care."
5. Jason Robart, MD, a resident in anesthesiology at GW Hospital, called the agreement "historic" and credited "[e]very person who signed a union card or a petition, every chant, every sign we held up outside the hospital and even our willingness to withhold our labor" in securing the contract.