Stanford Health Care (SHC) resident and fellow physicians deliver high quality patient care daily at one of the top-ranked private academic healthcare systems in California. After the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, we began organizing because we were overworked, underpaid, and our calls for safety protections were ignored even as we treated patients on the frontlines of the pandemic. We were tired of the exploitative culture of medical training and we were determined to create a better future for those following us.

In April 2022, after years of fighting for a voice and building our collective strength, we won our union and approximately 1,475 housestaff joined the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR/SEIU) as the SHC Housestaff Union. In December of 2023 we successfully negotiated our first union contract which is now set to expire this December. In the fall of 2026 we began to bargain in earnest for a fair second contract that empowers us to be our best selves so that we can continue to provide exceptional patient care each and every day. 

Our bargaining priorities include equitable compensation allowing us to live and work in the communities we serve, improved workplace safety with an emphasis on protections for pregnant housestaff, and codifying the ability of departments to add or maintain their own benefits to meet the unique needs of every program. 

Our aim is to continue to raise the standard for medical training nationally and to always be ready to deliver exceptional healthcare. A fair second contract will support our wellbeing, development, and futures, and in doing so,  it will also ensure that the Stanford Health Care system maintains and strengthens its own reputation for excellence.