U of C resident doctors win first-ever union contract after nearly a year of negotiating

Resident doctors and fellows at the University of Chicago Medical Center reached their first-ever contract with the health system following nearly a year of negotiations.

The five-year contract for the roughly 1,000 residents and fellows “will have a direct impact on both their well-being and their ability to provide high-quality patient care to their patients,” according to the Committee of Interns and Residents, their union representation.

The Committee of Interns and Residents, a local of Service Employees International Union, represents over 40,000 resident physicians and fellows — nearly a quarter of all U.S. residents and fellows.

The victory is the latest in a growing movement to unionize resident doctors and secure contracts that make their working conditions more humane and sus