Nine hundred and fifty medical residents and fellows at four hospitals affiliated with Brown’s Warren Alpert School of Medicine are seeking union representation, according to public filings with the National Labor Relations Board.
The residents and fellows work across two separate healthcare systems: Brown University Health, formerly known as Lifespan Health, and Care New England Health. Both of these healthcare systems have residency programs affiliated with Warren Alpert. In separate filings submitted Friday, workers at each health system sought to join the Local 1957 chapter of the Service Employees International Union’s Committee of Interns and Residents, which currently represents over 33,000 resident physicians.
The bargaining units would represent the 721 Brown medical residents and fellows in programs affiliated with the University’s Health System, and all 229 residents and fellows at Care New England. Some of the latter residents are affiliated with the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. Warren Alpert is the sole medical school affiliated with Brown University Health.
If recognized by the health systems leaders, the unions will represent all interns, residents, chief residents and fellows at Rhode Island Hospital, Butler Hospital, Kent Hospital and Woman and Infants Hospital.
If the medical residents and fellows’ unions are not voluntarily recognized by the two health systems, organizers can petition the NLRB to facilitate an election, or may gain the right to strike for recognition, according to the NLRB website. The NLRB rules state unions must win votes from a majority of represented workers to force employer recognition.
To be voluntarily recognized, organizers must collect signatures of a majority of employees. Current support of these efforts among employees remains unclear.
There are currently 706 residents in 28 programs affiliated with Brown’s medical school. The school also offers 77 fellowship programs.
These unionization efforts follow a surge in labor organizing at Brown in recent years. In the past five years, the University has seen seven new staff and student labor unions emerge.
Representatives from the University and two healthcare systems did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
Ethan Schenker is a senior staff writer covering staff and student labor. He is from Bethesda, MD, and plans to study International and Public Affairs and Economics. In his free time, he enjoys playing piano and clicking on New York Times notifications.
Claire Song is a Senior Staff Writer covering science & research. She is a freshman from California studying Applied Math-Biology. She likes to drink boba in her free time.
