We need everyone’s support to give all housestaff a voice. Working conditions may not be the same in all programs, and may not always stay the same. Residency/fellowship experiences can be extremely dependent on program leadership, and our current benefits do not have the protections of a union contract. The best time to form a union is now, to support and protect current residents and fellows as well as future housestaff. We need to be at the table when decisions are made about us.
If you are graduating:
- It costs nothing to support and your vote is confidential – you will never have to pay any dues because it will take time to bargain a union contract. Future trainees will be able to decide on their own fate by voting on negotiated contracts or decertifying the union if it is no longer useful to them. Ultimately, this is about paying it forward: residency is hard as it is, but giving housestaff a real voice in their experience is the start of reimagining medical training where we make sure our doctors can be well enough to improve care for our patients and our communities.