300 Resident Physicians at ChristianaCare Are Unionizing for Better Working Conditions and Patient Care

November 22, 2024

The Delaware doctors’ organizing follows a successful campaign by ChristianaCare attending physicians, who voted to unionize earlier this year.

Newark, DE — On Thursday, 300 resident and fellow physicians at ChristianaCare Health Systems filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to gain recognition of their union with the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR/SEIU). If successful, the Delaware housestaff would make history as the first group of resident physicians in the state of Delaware to unionize.

ChristianaCare is the largest private-sector employer in Delaware, operating three hospitals and a variety of outpatient healthcare settings. The unionizing residents, who work mostly in Christiana Hospital in Newark and Wilmington Hospital in Wilmington, say that they hope to make improvements to their working conditions that will in turn improve patient care.

“Christiana residents winning a voice and a seat at the table will improve our ability to care and advocate for our patients every day in the hospital and clinics,” said Dr. Bethany Dus, a resident physician in OBGYN at ChristianaCare. “Improvement in conditions for residents and fellows will allow us to refocus our energy directly back into the community.”

ChristianaCare hospitals are considered among the top medical centers in Delaware, yet residents say that chronic understaffing remains a persistent and concerning issue in the wake of the COVID pandemic—a problem they say hospital administration has yet to address despite their repeated requests.

“It’s no secret that our system has been trying to cut costs while simultaneously expanding its operations,” said Dr. Matthew Eiman, a resident physician in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at ChristianaCare. “These short-term decisions can manifest in staffing shortages, which can inhibit our ability to provide the best possible care. We are unionizing to put ourselves and care for our community over the system’s profit margin.”

The residents are the second group of ChristianaCare physicians to organize in less than a year. Earlier this year, attending physicians successfully formed the first-ever union in the health system’s history, overcoming attempts by the health system to dissuade them from forming a union.

“We already saw ChristianaCare try to convince our attendings to vote no when they unionized earlier this year,” said Dr. Lara Murnik, a resident physician in Emergency Medicine at ChristianaCare. “These tactics are harmful and a waste of hospital resources. We ask that Christiana commit to neutrality in this election and let the voices of their residents and fellows resound loud and clear.”

The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) is the largest house staff union in the United States. A local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing over 34,000 resident physicians and fellows. Our members are dedicated to improving residency training and education, advancing patient care, and expanding healthcare access for our communities.

Understanding S.P.I.T.

What are the benefits of forming a union?

When we come together as housestaff, we have a unified voice for safe working conditions and better patient outcomes. This pandemic has demonstrated that having workplace representation is urgent and necessary. Thousands of residents across the country have organized union chapters and have won historic improvements for housestaff and patients through collective bargaining agreements.

What’s legal? What’s not?

The laws vary from state to state as well as the type of employer you are paid by – private or public.Generally, however, most laws give employees the right to act together to try and improve their working conditions, with or without a union.It is illegal for employees to be fired, suspended, or otherwise penalized for taking part in protected group activity.

Generally, it is illegal for employers to S.P.I.T.:

(Document any activity that may look like this)

Surveil

Administration and department leadership may not conduct unlawful surveillance of employees’ union activity. Identifying, tracking and surveillance of employee discussions about the union or union meetings is illegal.

Examples:

Supervisors cannot inquire about what goes on at union meetings, ask which employees attend the meeting, or even give the impression of such surveillance.

Promise

Administration and department leadership must not directly or indirectly promise any benefits or reward employees for refusing to sign a union card, or for voting against your union. They may not promise a wage increase or give preferential treatment in exchange for refraining from union activity. Encouraging employees to withdraw or repudiate union authorization cards is also unlawful. They may not solicit grievances about working conditions while expressly or impliedly promising corrections if residents do not form a union.

Examples:

“I can get you a job here or give you a good recommendation letter if you don’t get involved.”

Reminder: There is nothing holding management accountable to any promises they make and they do not have to follow through.

Interrogate

Administration and department leadership should not interrogate, or ask, any employee whether or not he or she favors the union, has signed a union card, or has gone to a union meeting.

You can always say you’re not comfortable answering their questions. Remember to ask whether they’ve talked to others, whether they know if they’re allowed to ask, and if they have concerns about residents forming a union and what they are.

Questions they may ask:

Have you heard of a union being formed? Are you involved? Have you been asked to sign a card? Do any of your colleagues have interest in forming a union? Who have you heard union talk from? Do you think you’ll join?

Threaten

Administration and program leadership must not threaten employees with harm or reprisals (economic or otherwise) if they decide to get involved with the union or sign a union card.

Examples:

Administration may not threaten to take away residency spots or current department benefits if the residents decide to form or join a union.

What can we do to protect ourselves?

Despite being generally protected, it is always a good idea to be extra careful:

Remember to be discrete and never seek advice or reveal to management/administration that you are considering unionizing
Refrain from using hospital property – both physical (printers, computers, phones) – and intellectual (email, paging/messaging systems) – in communicating regarding union matters
Be mindful of where and when you discuss unionization with your colleagues – being overheard talking about unions in the hospital “on company time” can be considered “solicitation,” so exercise caution and discretion
As long as you are using personal means of communication such as personal phones, emails, and only talking to other interns, residents, or fellows, the hospital cannot discipline you

Reminder: Forming a union is 100% our legal right and our vote is anonymous.

300 Resident Physicians at ChristianaCare Are Unionizing for Better Working Conditions and Patient Care

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