Beth Israel Medical Center Physicians and Fellows Vote to Unionize

Physicians and fellows at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center voted to unionize with 83 percent in favor on Wednesday, joining the Service Employees International Union’s Committee of Interns and Residents.

Sixty-one percent of the 811-member bargaining unit — which includes interns, residents, chief residents, and physician fellows at BIDMC — participated in the mail-in election, which was run by the National Labor Relations board from Dec. 19 to Jan. 17. The vote passed by a margin of 407-85.

CIR-SEIU organizers wrote in a press release that the BIDMC house staff unionized “to gain a seat at the table to advocate for themselves and their patients, especially immigrant and refugee patients, and other folks coming from working-class communities of color who often face the highest barriers to care.”

“Contending with rampant burnout, long hours, intense stints of night shifts, inadequate pay, overwork, and other issues, the doctors feel that their well-being is inseparable from the health of the people they provide care to,” they wrote.

BIDMC housestaff filed for unionization in November 2024, joining a growing number of hospital unions in Boston, including at least two others at BIDMC. Residents and fellows at Mass General Brigham, the largest private employer in the state, voted to unionize in June 2023, but negotiations have recently stalled over economic provisions after more than two dozen bargaining sessions.

According to BIDMC organizers, bargaining for the first union contract will begin after members discuss negotiation priorities. CIR-SEIU President A. Taylor Walker said that salary and benefit gains will likely be important for members due to the cost of living in Boston and comparatively low pay scale for residents.

“I did my training in Boston at Cambridge Health Alliance, and during my chief year, I took out a $15,000 personal loan so that I could pay my rent,” Walker said. “We’ve got residents who have mentioned selling plasma to pay their rent.”

BIDMC spokesperson Sarah Finlaw wrote in an emailed statement that Beth Israel will work “in good faith” to negotiate a contract.

“We respect their right to organize and are committed to working collaboratively with their chosen representative/CIR on our shared commitment to continue an environment that supports excellence in patient care, education, innovation, and professional growth,” Finlaw wrote.

Residents at BIDMC were supported by unionized nurses at the hospital, as well as other unionized residents and fellows under CIR-SEIU.

“There’s been a ton of cross-shop solidarity,” Walker said. “The residents at MGB have been cheering on the residents at BI and vice versa, and MGB, being further along in the process, I think they’ve been really helpful and offering encouragement and advice.”

—Staff writer Hugo C. Chiasson can be reached at hugo.chiasson@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @HugoChiassonn.

—Staff writer Amann S. Mahajan can be reached at amann.mahajan@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @amannmahajan.