More than 86% of resident physicians in the greater Philadelphia area are now covered by CIR-SEIU collective bargaining agreements

PHILADELPHIA —Resident physicians and fellows employed by two major Philadelphia area health systems, Temple University Health System and Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, have overwhelmingly ratified their first union contracts, with 100% of participating members at both health systems voting to approve the agreements.

Represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR-SEIU), the approximately 2,200 Temple and Jefferson physicians provide much of the direct patient care at more than 20 hospitals and medical facilities across greater Philadelphia. Despite regularly working up to 80 hours a week, many residents have struggled with financial hardship on salaries that didn’t keep up with the rising cost of living.

“As physicians, we spend every day advocating for our patients to have the resources and support they need, and many of us are living paycheck-to-paycheck,” said Dr. Linda Li, a resident physician at Temple Northwest Family Medicine at Chestnut Hill Hospital. “Daycare alone took up about 60% of my salary, and I know residents who had to take on more debt just to cover basic living expenses. I’m incredibly proud that we stood together and won a contract that will make a material difference in our lives and for residents who come after us.”

Ratification comes roughly a year and a half after Temple and Jefferson residents launched a joint, citywide campaign to unionize with CIR-SEIU. They follow in the footsteps of more than 1,500 resident physicians and fellows at the University of Pennsylvania, the first group of physicians in the state to unionize, who ratified their first contract in October 2024. With the ratification of the Temple and Jefferson contracts, more than 86% of resident physicians in the greater Philadelphia area are now covered by CIR-SEIU collective bargaining agreements.

“We saw how residents at Penn were able to raise the bar for physician training and patient care by organizing and winning their first contract, and we’re thrilled to build on what they achieved,” said Dr. Adrian Kase, a resident physician in physical medicine & rehabilitation at Jefferson. “But this is just the beginning. As a union, we have a powerful collective voice, and we’ll keep using it to ensure Philadelphia communities receive the best possible care in our hospitals.”

In addition to substantial wage increases and greater investment in resident education, the agreements address longstanding pay inequities between physicians doing the same work at different hospitals within their health systems, a core priority for Temple and Jefferson residents. Jefferson Einstein Hospital residents will now receive the same salaries as their peers at other Jefferson hospitals, while Chestnut Hill Hospital residents will achieve near pay parity with their Temple Main and Fox Chase counterparts by the second year of their contract.

The physicians received strong support throughout their campaigns from city and state elected officials, including State Senators Christine Tartaglione, Sharif Street, and Nikil Saval; Representative Danilo Burgos; City Councilmembers Kendra Brooks, Jim Harrity, Rue Landau, Nicolas O’Rourke, and Isaiah Thomas. Earlier this year, more than 20 elected leaders from across greater Philadelphia met with the residents to discuss their fight for fair contracts and the need to ensure sustainable, high-quality care for the communities they serve.

“Philadelphia is the city of ‘Eds and Meds,’ where one in six U.S. physicians receives medical training, so what happens in our hospitals has an impact far beyond our city,” said Senator Tartaglione. “When workers have a voice on the job and the power to collectively bargain, they win better workplaces, better outcomes for the people they serve, and a stronger future for all,” she continued. “Congratulations to Temple and Jefferson residents winning contracts that will improve their workplaces and support quality patient care.”

“Resident physicians are essential to keeping our communities healthy, so these contracts are victories for all of us,” said Senator Street, “I look forward to working alongside CIR-SEIU members to ensure our city remains a national leader in training the next generation of physicians.”

As Temple and Jefferson residents celebrate their hard-won victories, resident physicians at ChristianaCare, who unionized with CIR-SEIU in January 2025, are still fighting for their first contract. CIR physicians in Philadelphia are calling on ChristianaCare leadership to follow the lead of the other major health systems in the region and reach a fair agreement with its residents.

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 40,000 resident physicians and fellows. Our members are dedicated to improving residency training and education, advancing patient care, and expanding healthcare access for our communities.