About 980 resident and fellow physicians at the University of Minnesota are now represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents. The Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services certified the union as their bargaining representative on May 9, the union and university confirmed in statements shared with Becker’s.
The union, a local of the Service Employees International Union, said the physicians are among the first University of Minnesota workers to organize following recent reforms to the Minnesota Public Employee Labor Relations Act. The changes, which took effect in 2024, include the expansion of the definition of a “public employee” and the ability for groups of workers to petition the bureau to determine appropriate units for future negotiations, according to the university.
The physicians cited their desire to improve conditions for medical training and the health of Minnesotans as reasons for their unionization efforts.
“We work very hard to take care of people all over the Twin Cities and beyond, and burnout is a real problem,” Kaitlin McLean, MD, said in a news release shared with Becker’s. “It’s essential that we have a seat at the table so we can care for ourselves and our patients, and so that we can stay here in Minnesota doing that critical work.”
In a statement shared with Becker’s, the university said that it “values our relationship with labor-represented employees and honors its obligations under the Public Employment Labor Relations Act.”
