Resident Doctors and Nurses at George Washington University Hospital Unionize

As the three-year mark of the coronavirus pandemic approaches, resident doctors and nurses at George Washington University Hospital have made the decision to unionize, joining a growing trend of health workers seeking more influence over workplace conditions amidst staffing shortages and burnout. The move follows a grueling winter season that saw a combination of flu, COVID-19, and RSV further stress front-line staff at the hospital, one of several Level 1 trauma centers in D.C. With physician suicide risk factors amplified by the pandemic, the health-care providers say collective bargaining would give them leverage to seek higher wages, guaranteed mental health benefits outside the hospital, and a limit on the number of patients they are asked to treat at a given time.

Key Takeaways:

• The George Washington University Hospital resident doctors and nurses have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to join the Committee of Interns and Residents, a branch of the Service Employees International Union representing about 25,000 residents and fellows.
• The GWU chapter would become the largest residency program in the District to unionize, with 450 to 500 residents likely eligible for collective bargaining.
• Residents say they were emboldened to organize by labor wins in the private sector at companies such as Amazon and Starbucks, as well as their colleagues at District hospitals, including residents from Children's National Hospital who rallied for better working conditions.
• The D.C. Nurses Association filed a petition with the NLRB to represent about 750 registered nurses at George Washington University Hospital, which is owned by Universal Health Services, one of the nation's largest for-profit health-care companies.
• Staffing has become a real problem, with nurses leaving the employ and the profession due to high demands and burnout, according to Edward Smith, executive director of the D.C. Nurses Association.
• Understaffing concerns drove major work stoppages nationwide in 2022, with 36,800 health service sector employees involved, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Despite union membership nationally declining last year, health workers have been increasingly vocal during the pandemic about the conditions driving them from the industry.

Statistics:

• 450 to 500 residents at George Washington University Hospital are likely eligible for collective bargaining.
• 25,000 residents and fellows are represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents, a branch of the Service Employees International Union.
• 750 registered nurses at George Washington University Hospital are seeking union representation by the D.C. Nurses Association.
• 18,000 patients were admitted at George Washington University Hospital in 2021.
• Nearly 47,000 emergency department visits were logged at George Washington University Hospital in 2021.
• About 2,500 babies were delivered at George Washington University Hospital in 2021.
• 36,800 health service sector employees were involved in direct action nationwide in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Sources:

• The Washington Post
• National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
• D.C. Nurses Association
• George Washington University Hospital
• Universal Health Services
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics