I have learned an immense amount by being a member of CIR! To name a few things that I have learned: more about Unions, more about the history of residency, better negotiating skills, how to review a contract, what it means to have an organization that is looking out for your best interests.
CIR has taught me that I have a voice, and that even when other hospital staff around me say “This is the way we have always done it,” or “I tried and it didn’t work, so you would be wasting your time,” that it is always worth the time and effort to try to improve things for your patients, co-workers, and clients.
Through CIR I have been able to participate in numerous activities that have been meaningful to me that I likely would not have even known about had it not been for CIR. Some of the highlights would be:
- Helping to organize and co-create the WiM Contract Negotiation/Post Residency workshop for the New York Region
- Attending the #FightFor15 Rally in NYC
- Being supported by CIR staff as my hospital, WMC, undergoes contract bargaining and receiving help in filing grievances
- Being able to go to Albany on March 2, 2016 to lobby/advocate for #PaidFamilyLeave, the #FightFor15, and #CoverageForAll
The overall impression that I have is that CIR is trying to help make an unfair world a little fairer starting by providing residents and fellows with the necessary support and resources needed in order to advocate for themselves and their patients.
I would like to continue to improve on our cost conscious platform for patients (necessary, clinically indicated testing/procedures) and for CIR, to help ensure that the organization can continue to provide much needed support/services to and for residents.
I think we are already engaged in many activities that reflect our core values but there is always room for improvement. From my viewpoint, running for national president, the most important thing we can do as an organization is to grow and to keep doing what we are doing.
Joining the fight for a living wage encompasses many of our core values. I will help organize residents and fellows across the nation to attend the rallies and provide support to the low wage workers across the nation. We need to help empower the working poor and raise the minimum wage so that the gross inequality that has so many Americans choosing between life essentials like shelter, food, education and medical care can start to be corrected.
The work I have done and will continue to do with regarding individual contract negotiations, will help to enable residents and fellows to make sure that they are recognized for their work and help to decrease the wage gap in medicine and across other career paths.
