Resident physicians affiliated with George Washington University Hospital reached a tentative agreement late Monday, averting a three-day strike that was set to go into effect at 6 a.m. Tuesday.
The agreement came to fruition after more than a year of talks. Negotiators worked to secure better pay and improved mental health support for about 500 resident doctors unionized with the Committee of Interns and Residents.
The development marks the first contract win for the union.
The tentative deal, according to the union, includes both substantial pay increases and a $1,000 annual stipend for mental health and physician wellness. A $4,000 ratification bonus is also included in the agreement.
Doctors who were ready to join the picket line previously highlighted their struggles with rampant burnouts, extreme exhaustion and financial stress, the union said.
“This contract has been such a long time coming and it’s truly a historic step not only for our well-being, but for the health of the community we serve,” said Dr. Jason Robart, a resident in anesthesiology at GW Hospital, in a statement.
“This contract is the result of 2.5 years of effort, since before we even won our union. Every person who signed a union card or a petition, every chant, every sign we held up outside the hospital, and even our willingness to withhold our labor — that’s what allowed us to win a contract that will truly transform our lives.”
Eleanor Clifford, an OB-GYN resident, added that the hundreds of doctors were willing to strike in order to get “GW to finally acknowledge the support that we need in order to take care of ourselves and our mental health.”
“We were willing to strike because, ultimately, we know that we can’t provide the compassionate patient care that we want to provide on willpower alone,” she said. “We are incredibly hardworking, but we are also human.”
WTOP has reached out to GW Hospital and the Committee of Interns and Residents for additional details.
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