Contextualizing the Resurgence of U.S. Housestaff Union Activity.

Abstract

There is a growing trend of resident and fellow physician unionization in the United States, with 14 new housestaff unions formed at private employers since 2022. This resurgence of housestaff union organizing parallels the last era of housestaff activism in the 1960s. Today's housestaff organizing takes place within the context of longstanding challenges in medicine, including the burnout and systemic inequities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and an increase in national activism and labor organizing. Housestaff unions offer opportunities for residents and fellows to negotiate for improvements across multiple issues.In this Commentary, the authors focus on common bargaining topics: poor working conditions, undercompensation, and inadequate representation in an increasingly corporatized health care landscape. The authors also discuss the role of collective bargaining for improving the housestaff experience and address common concerns about unionization. Finally, the authors explore the limited evidence of the impact of unions in health care settings and outline key considerations for future scholarship.The current generation of housestaff started their medical careers with an awareness of systemic challenges to the profession and have responded through collective organizing. While the short- and long-term ramifications of housestaff organizing need further study, the authors express optimism that unionization will lead to improved working conditions and thus improved health care delivery.