Beth Israel Medical Center Residents and Physicians File for Unionization

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center residents and physicians filed for unionization last Thursday with the National Labor Relations Board.

Per the NLRB filing, the unit will include all interns, residents, chief residents, and physician fellows, totaling 850 people. The group would be represented by the Committee for Interns and Residents, a national affiliate of the Service Employees International Union. To file for election, a potential union must receive signed union cards from at least 30 percent of their prospective bargaining unit. Once an election agreement has reached—or the NLRB orders an election—a simple majority is required for unionization.

“BIDMC residents are joining together with residents across the country to advocate for the future of medicine and the communities they serve,” CIR/SEIU President A. Taylor Walker wrote in a statement to The Crimson.

“Hospital executives at Beth Israel have the opportunity now to listen to their physician residents and fellows at BIDMC,” Walker added. “After successfully winning their union, we are confident that they can address the critical issues that affect their work, lives and patient care.”

BIDMC spokesperson Sarah Finlaw wrote in an emailed statement to The Crimson that the hospital “respects and supports the right of our trainees to make an informed decision about union representation, and we will proceed with the election process in accordance with all NLRB procedures.”

“However, we believe that working directly with trainees to support their unique role at BIDMC is the best path forward,” Finlaw added.

The BIDMC resident and physician unionization effort comes amid a growing wave of healthcare unionization in Boston, and if it successfully unionizes, the unit will join at least two other existing BIDMC unions.

Residents and fellows at Mass General Brigham, who are represented by CIRSEIU, are currently bargaining for their first contract after unionizing last June. Nearly 300 primary care physicians at MGB and over 200 clinicians working for Cambridge Health Alliance filed for unionization earlier this month.

—Staff writer Veronica H. Paulus can be reached at veronica.paulus@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @VeronicaHPaulus.

—Staff writer Aran Sonnad-Joshi can be reached at aran.sonnad-joshi@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @asonnadjoshi.