The School of Medicine & Health Sciences residents and fellows on Monday night called off a strike planned for early Tuesday morning, after reaching tentative agreements with GW in a negotiation meeting hours before the union was set to commence the strike.
The agreement reached by the SMHS residents and fellows union and GW officials includes “substantial” compensation increases, $4,000 bonuses that residents will receive when the contract is ratified and $1,000 annual stipends for mental health benefits, according to a Monday union release. The agreement marks the union’s first contract win since residents overwhelmingly voted to unionize in April 2023 and comes after residents twice called on GW publicly to accelerate a collective bargaining agreement that includes wage hikes and mental health care.
“We wanted GW to finally acknowledge the support that we need in order to take care of ourselves and our mental health,” OBGYN resident Eleanor Clifford said in the release. “Because we came together to fight as a strong union, that’s what happened, and we’re thrilled that we now don’t have to spend any time on a picket line away from our patients.”
University spokesperson Shannon McClendon said union negotiators and GW officials reached the tentative agreement on Monday evening, which addresses the union’s concerns about compensation and mental health support.
“The university is grateful for the continued dedication of clinical staff in providing patients with the highest quality of care,” McClendon said in an email.
More than 450 doctors — 98 percent of union members — voted earlier this month to authorize the strike set to start at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, citing “rampant burnout” from routinely working more than 80 hours a week with insufficient salaries or mental health care. The union announced last week that the strike would last at least three days and that it notified GW of the strike, per federal labor law requirements.
GW residents earn between $66,628 and $86,903 per year and University officials raise earnings annually to account for the number of years since the employee graduated, according to SMHS’ website. Residents can select benefits like medical insurance coverage provided by UnitedHealthcare, which covers prescription drugs through CVS Caremark, access to SimpleTherapy, Castlight, Real Appeal and the Maternity Support program.
Union members have negotiated with GW since November 2023, after residents voted to unionize 253-16, with the goal of improving salaries and benefits. Residents have repeatedly alleged that University officials have stalled union contract negotiations. In April nearly 300 resident physicians signed a petition urging officials to expedite union negotiations, and in September the group formed a picket line stretching between Ross Hall and GW Hospital.
“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,” Jason Robart, a resident in anesthesiology at GW Hospital, said in the release.
