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ChristianaCare resident doctors vote to unionize

Quinn Kirkpatrick
/
Delaware Public Media

Another group of doctors at ChristianaCare form a union by a more than two-to-one vote.

Residents at ChristianaCare - doctors who have completed medical school and work in a hospital setting while they complete the requirements for their license - voted 111-52 to form the union. On Thursday, the National Labor Relations Board certified the election, making the union official.

Second year resident in internal medicine and pediatrics Matthew Eiman, one of the union’s organizers, said they want to make conditions better for residents - and the patients they serve.

“Whenever we, as resident physicians, are able to take some power in our situation and we're able to improve our situation, I think ultimately it will make for better patient care," he said.

Eiman said the union wants to negotiate to protect benefits like parental leave, but also wants to stand up for their colleagues and patients.

“We would really like to advocate for better ancillary staff support and more resources and more funding in our outpatient clinics and our inpatient hospital services as well," he said.

Residency is known for its long hours and grueling schedule. Eiman said that even simple quality-of-life changes, like a stipend for meals, can make a big difference in residents’ lives.

“Whenever you're working 70, 80 hour work weeks, you don't have much time to meal prep during the week," he said. "You know, you're trying to take care of your patients, let alone yourself.”

The residents at ChristianaCare are the second group of doctors to unionize, along with attending physicians, who formed a union last year.

EIman notes residents are in a different situation. Medical students can list residency preferences, but ultimately, are assigned where they go, meaning they either have to accept the contract offered or decline the residency. That makes union protections more important, Eiman says.

He adds ChristianaCare has been “respectful” of the process and negotiations will begin soon.

Martin Matheny comes to Delaware Public Media from WUGA in Athens, GA. Over his 12 years there, he served as a classical music host, program director, and the lead reporter on state and local government. In 2022, he took over as WUGA's local host of Morning Edition, where he discovered the joy of waking up very early in the morning.