The University of Washington Housestaff Association (UWHA) proudly endorses the Resident Bill of Rights, authored by the Yale Medical Residents and the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR).
Our union was created with the purpose of improving working conditions and salaries for residents and fellows at the University of Washington. We wholeheartedly believe that a Resident Bill of Rights is needed and is a step in the right for direction for resident well being across our country.
The Resident Bill of Rights includes:
- A living wage that allows us to support our family and pay off our educational debt.
- The right to provide the best care possible for our patients and act in the best interests of the community where we live and work.
- No more than 80 working hours per week, not as an average and including non-clinical tasks.
- Time off for being sick, access to parental leave and seeking health care without pressure to leave it unused.
- Recognition as full-time workers and a right to unionize, giving us the ability to use our collective voices to advocate to employers and lawmakers for our patients and ourselves as workers, not as learners.
- Transparency, standardization, and due process from the institutions and employers that make key decisions about our careers and futures.
- Access to mental health services without scrutiny or stigmatization.
- Equal access to career and learning development.
- Adequate hospital staffing and support, including the maintenance of backup call schedules for every residency program.
You can sign the Bill of Rights at anewrealitynow.com and show your support by spreading the word. Toolkits with posters and social media samples are also available.
Resident & fellow physician union - northwest/CIR/SEIU 