More than 1,000 resident physicians and fellows at the University of Chicago Medical Center voted overwhelmingly to unionize this week, joining a wave of young doctors unionizing across the city and country.

In a landslide election, about 98% of physicians, fellows and interns voted to join the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR), a part of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the union announced Monday. The victory comes a little more than a month after residents and fellows filed their petition to hold an election with the National Labor Relations Board.

Residents typically work at hospitals or in other health care settings for several years after finishing medical school as part of their training, while fellows are doctors getting more training after completing residencies. Also referred to as house staff, both roles provide extensive patient care daily in a hospital and clinics workers described as understaffed and often struggle to make ends meet.

While we love our jobs and caring for our patients, we do not have an endless supply of stamina and capacity. We are human beings who must have our basic needs met, said Dr.Aisha Amuda, a fourth-year resident in internal medicine and pediatrics, in a statement. We are now in a position to advocate for necessary improvements to our working conditions that directly impact the quality of care our patients receive."

According to the CIR, resident physicians at the U. of C. Medical Center regularly work more than 80 hours a week in the hospital and its Level 1 Trauma Center the only trauma center on the South Side while carrying more than $200,000 in student debt.

Though these young doctors often serve as the primary health care providers for many patients, organizers said they have little say in decisions that impact patient care, arguing that a seat at the bargaining table could change this.

My colleagues and I chose UChicago because we wanted to care for this community, said Dr. Kalkidan Aseged, a first-year resident in emergency medicine, in a statement. As physicians, our first commitment is to our patients. Having a strong voice helps us advocate more effectively for their needs, as well as for our own well-being.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the medical center said administrators soon will begin collective bargaining "in order to craft a fair and equitable contract that supports the needs of our trainees, our patients and our institution."

"This group of 1,040 residents and fellows are integral members of our clinical teams, and they provide exceptional care to our patients and community," the sppkesperson continued. "Just as we did before the vote, UCMC is committed to continuing to foster an exceptional learning and care environment for our residents and fellows."

The election comes just three months after 1,300 resident physicians and fellows at Northwestern Medicine voted overwhelmingly to unionize with CIR. And last January, about 800 newly-unionized residents and fellows at the University of Illinois Chicago reached their first collective bargaining agreement with the hospital.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, which exacerbated chronic problems of understaffing and burnout in health care across the country, tens of thousands of residents and fellows have moved to unionize with CIR. Today, the union represents about 32,000 physicians, fellows and interns, making it the largest house staff union in the nation.

In Chicago alone, according to the union, more than 15,000 house staff have joined CIR/SEIU since 2020.

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