About 1,300 resident physicians and fellows trained at the University of Colorado School of Medicine are stepping up their attempts to form a union. Members of The Housestaff Association (HSA) of the University of Colorado Hospitals have moved forward with a demand for collective bargaining, attributing this decision to what they consider stalled and unproductive negotiations with the school’s administration and CU system leadership.
A Rally for Recognition: Seeking a Voice in the Workplace
HSA organised a rally outside CU’s Anschutz Medical Campus for the purpose of bringing collective bargaining to the table. These engaged medical trainees are called the doctors in training and they perform critical patient care services. They are now advocating for a more direct approach to negotiation that would allow them to improve their pay and work conditions. In particular, the work-related issue involves set work hours as well as sufficient rest intervals between shifts, both of which are critical for the trainees’ well-being and patient safety.
A Petition Delivered: Demonstrating Widespread Support
The strength of the unionisation effort is emphasised by the overwhelming backing from the HSA members. More than 70 percent of the CU HSA constituents have signed the petition expressing a demand for collective bargaining as well as full unionisation. This petition was submitted to a meeting of the CU Board of Regents, which showed ample support from within the medical trainee community for unionisation.
Stalled Talks: A Year of Frustration and Broken Promises
Following almost a year of negotiations with school administrators, advocacy has been taken a notch higher. This is because the negotiations are said to be “unproductive, uncooperative, and unsuccessful,” as claimed by the outgoing HSA co-president Nik Kaufman. “We have meetings with administrators from all levels of the university, including some of the regents,” Kaufman went on to state. “But we have yet to see any movement or clarity, because CU has refused to bargain in good faith.”
Advocating for Change: Improved Conditions and Patient Safety
Simone Raiter, the incoming HSA co-president and a third-year resident in interventional radiology, was among the speakers at the rally. She contended that there is a direct relationship between the trainee’s well-being and the quality of the patient care provided. “We got into this line of work because we want to help people,” Raiter noted. “Every Coloradan deserves high-quality care, serviced by doctors who are mentally and physically prepared and able to provide it.” The HSA argues that collective bargaining must be accepted if the working conditions that enable optimal trainee well-being and patient outcomes are to be established.
A Historical Synopsis: Progression from ‘Union-Lite’ to Formal Bargaining
The Housestaff Association (HSA) traces its history to 1969. For much of the HSA’s existence, it acted as a ‘union-lite’ organisation. Members of the association met from time to time with the administrators in an attempt to resolve issues such as remuneration and the general welfare of the trainees. However, in recent years, fellow members embarked on a campaign towards more formal collective bargaining agreements. This was part of a broader trend of resident physician and fellow unionisation in the United States.
Legal Structure: Colorado’s Public Sector Bargaining Law
The HSA’s efforts are set against the background of changing labour relations in the state of Colorado. There was a new public-sector law enacted in 2023 that widened the scope of public-sector union activities. On the other hand, the law also fails to provide unqualified collective bargaining rights for all public employees, resulting in some legal uncertainty.
School’s Reaction: Addressing Opposition While Emphasizing Endorsements
CU School of Medicine issued a statement bearing support towards as well as endorsement for HSA members, where they underline efforts in supporting residents and fellows. Mark Couch, chief of staff and associate dean of public relations, offered positive remarks around the association’s activities, noting that the relationship with the HSA has “yielded considerable positive results for residents and fellows” by increasing the value of stipends and enhancing bonuses for relocation, among others.
Couch critically commented on the leadership of HSA regarding their perception of commitment to trainees by suggesting, “Couch referred to their commitment when he stated, ‘We will continue to engage with all 1,300 residents and fellows, working with them to ensure they will become outstanding physicians providing compassionate care to our patients.””
A Matter of Trust: The Need for Certainty and Stability
As Raiter points out, this informal relationship as is would benefit from a strong backbone and structure that legal collective bargaining would provide. Raiter became more active in the HSA after what she deemed “the b.s.” phase during the negotiations over salary and benefits, revealing that promises made at the onset were routinely breached. Raiter states, “We were initially promised what would have been a 20% increase, and they went back on that,” highlighting the need for firm rules through binding legislation.
The Regents’ Action: A Determining Factor
Since the School of Medicine has declined to voluntarily recognise the collective bargaining rights of the HSA, the organisation is now taking its case to the` CU Board of Regent’s, the governing body of the university. Kaufman made it clear that union support among HSA members is strong, noting, “To have gotten over 70% of our members (to sign the petition), I think it shows that the regents should not ignore us. They should do the right thing.”
An Unresolved Labour Conflict with Broader Healthcare Concerns
As the dispute develops between the CU School of Medicine and its medical trainees, it brings to the forefront the question of the intersection of labour relations and healthcare unionism in an educational institution. The lubrication of binding forces will not only determine the circumstances under which these physicians in training will work but also the standard of care provided in the latter. The CU Board of Regents now has a decision that is fundamentally important to the bond between an institution and its medical trainees.
