Press Contact: Sunyata Altenor
E: saltenor@cirseiu.org
M: 917-574-5394
Nation’s Frontline Doctors Pass Resolutions to Improve Care, Equity, Worker Protections
Committee of Interns and Residents Support Reproductive Justice, Gender-Affirming Care, New Regions, Parental Benefits, Single Occupancy Call Rooms
Los Angeles, CA – At their first in-person convention since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, delegates from the Committee of Interns and Residents passed sweeping resolutions to raise the standards of care and working conditions for the nation’s frontline physicians. As the fastest growing healthcare union in the country, membership has expanded since their last convention by over 8,000, with leaders meeting to discuss and address systemic issues in the American healthcare system.
Resolutions passed include support for reproductive justice, protections for pregnant physicians and expanded parental leave, improved working conditions, and expanded membership regions. “It was so empowering to see what our doctors can accomplish when we come together,” said Dr. Lorenzo González, National President, CIR. “From Washington to Florida, we are committed to progress; for ourselves, for our patients, and for all those who come after us.”
Among the resolutions passed is a policy to expand reproductive justice rights and access in the American healthcare system, which has been jeopardized following the reversal of Roe v. Wade. With around 1,200 members in Florida directly impacted by hardline restrictions to abortion access and training, members also voted to mandate that elected officials seeking endorsement must unequivocally support expanding unrestricted access to abortion and reproductive care.
Further codifying members’ commitment to equitable healthcare access, delegates overwhelmingly passed a resolution to support and expand gender-affirming care amid an unprecedented wave of transphobic speech and legislation. The resolution also mandated full support of these care protections by any elected officials seeking the union’s endorsement.
Residents also moved to expand their regions amid unprecedented membership growth, creating new regions for the Northwest, New England, and the Great Lakes. “As physicians and union leaders from across America, our union has a responsibility to reform the healthcare system,” said Susan Naranjo, Executive Director, CIR. “By centering equity and justice in our work, our members are building a kinder system of care that prioritizes people above profit.”
Other resolutions expanded worker protections to ensure the nation’s frontline physicians are able to continue providing quality care to their communities without jeopardizing their mental, physical, or financial wellbeing. These include codifying the option for pregnant physicians to opt out of night shifts throughout their pregnancy, expanding paid parental leave to 12 weeks in future contract negotiations, and a demand for single-occupancy call rooms.
The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) is the largest housestaff union in the United States. A local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing over 27,000 resident physicians and fellows. Our members are dedicated to improving residency training and education, advancing patient care, and expanding healthcare access for our communities.
