The 861 resident physicians and fellows become fourth group of doctors in Pennsylvania to unionize, election results at other hospitals to be announced in the coming days
Philadelphia, PA, Jan. 16 – Late last night, resident physicians and fellows employed by Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals (Jefferson Health) voted overwhelmingly to unionize – joining the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR-SEIU), the nation’s largest and oldest housestaff union. With 552 to 73 residents voting in favor, these frontline doctors are the third group of Philadelphia physicians within a week to unionize as part of a growing movement to transform healthcare in the city. CIR-SEIU now represents nearly 81% of all resident physicians in the Philadelphia area.
Serving hundreds of thousands of patients each year, Jefferson Health is one of the largest care providers in the region. Its resident physicians provide the majority of patient care across more than 25 facilities in Greater Philadelphia, regularly working over 80-hour weeks. Despite their critical role, these residents have little say in decisions that directly impact both their working conditions and patient care, and they are struggling with widespread burnout and financial hardship.
With their victory, Jefferson residents are looking towards the future, “We are elated that our hospital-wide organizing efforts over the past few months have culminated in winning our union!” said Dr. Trishya Srinivasan, a second-year resident in internal medicine and member of the organizing committee. “This win finally provides us with a formal and unified voice and the right to secure a fair contract—one that prioritizes our ability to provide safe patient care, improve our training, and lead fulfilling lives.”
The frontline doctors first went public with their organizing effort in November as part of a region-wide campaign with their peers from four other major healthcare systems to unionize with CIR/SEIU and set a new standard for physician training, patient care, and health justice across the region.
“The resident union wave is sweeping Philadelphia, and nothing can stop us,” said Dr. Sarah Qadir, a psychiatry resident physician at Jefferson. “We are reclaiming control from insurance companies and corporate executives to transform our healthcare system into one that truly prioritizes patients. Together we’re building a better future for doctors, nurses, and most importantly, the communities we serve.”
Jefferson residents are only the fourth group of doctors to ever unionize in Pennsylvania. They follow in the footsteps of 1,500 University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) doctors who ratified their groundbreaking first contract with CIR-SEIU in September, as well as Einstein Healthcare Network (Einstein) and Temple University Hospital doctors, who announced their election wins just last week.
