Resident physicians at Howard University Hospital have ratified their first CIR contract, which will improve working conditions, pay, and benefits for 266 housestaff over the duration of their two-year contract.

The contract is a vote of confidence in the resident physicians who staff the historic hospital, which has been struggling financially in the last few years. Founded in 1862 to care for former slaves, Howard University Hospital has an important legacy and still trains a disproportionate number of physicians of color.

This first contract comes after long organizing efforts and negotiations with hospital administration. While there are still areas to improve, the agreement creates a strong foundation for future negotiations.

“In medical school, I was never trained to negotiate an employee contract with the hospital administration, so it was very important for us to join together with CIR to negotiate our first contract,” said Arushi Kapoor, a PGY 2 in Psychiatry. “Learning how to negotiate with the hospital, with the expertise of our new union has been a rewarding experience.”

The Howard contract includes a 2 percent raise retroactive to October 31, 2016 and a 1.8 percent increase effective October 2017. Members will receive increases in medical education benefits as well as a $400 signing bonus and other provisional improvements.

We would like to welcome Howard University Hospital housestaff as CIR’s newest members and congratulations on a hard-won contract.