Rhode Island Hospital Resident Doctors Approve Their First Union Contract

Almost 700 resident physicians and fellows at Rhode Island Hospital have approved their very first union contract. The doctors voted last week, and 95 percent of those who took part said yes to the deal. The hospital is located in Providence and is the largest hospital in the state. The agreement covers pay raises, better health insurance, and other improvements for these early-career doctors.

The contract includes a 12 percent increase in base pay for the resident doctors. It also lowers the cost of their health insurance and provides better retirement benefits. Employers will now match up to 6 percent of what doctors put into their 401(k) retirement savings accounts. The hospital also agreed to make more comfortable arrangements for mothers who are nursing their babies at work.

Dr. Samantha Palacios is a second-year emergency medicine resident at Rhode Island Hospital. She said she is relieved that the two sides did not have to go on strike, which is when workers refuse to do their jobs until their demands are met. She added that while there is still room to improve things in the future, the residents are happy with what they achieved. 'I think overall the sentiment from everybody is just excitement that this fight, at least for the time being, is over,' Palacios said.

The hospital's spokesperson, Kelly Brennan, confirmed that the contract will last through June 30, 2029. She called the deal 'the result of productive discussions and the dedication of both negotiating teams.' She also said the hospital is proud to move forward with its residents and fellows. The contract was negotiated between the hospital and the union that represents the doctors, called the Committee of Interns and Residents, or CIR/SEIU.

The road to this contract was a long one. The process started in 2024, when the doctors first announced plans to form a union. They officially joined the union in January 2025 after holding a union election. That made them the first group of resident physicians in all of Rhode Island to unionize.

The push for a contract picked up speed over the summer and fall. More than 100 resident doctors rallied outside the hospital on June 5, saying their wages were too low for the amount of work they did. The cost of living in the Providence area is also very high, making it hard for many residents to get by. The union said at that time that many residents were earning the equivalent of only about $16 to $18 an hour.

Right after that rally, the doctors handed a petition to the hospital's chief medical officer. More than 70 percent of the hospital's residents signed the petition. It called for pay that was more in line with what doctors at other hospitals earn. Residents also noted that lawmakers in the Rhode Island state legislature had expressed support for their cause.

The union held a picket line on October 2, after the doctors turned down the hospital's most recent offer at that time. A picket is a form of protest where workers stand outside their workplace to show they are unhappy. Talks continued until both sides finally reached an agreement. Palacios said the whole effort shows just how important resident doctors are to keeping the hospital running. 'The hospital truly does run off of our labor,' she said.

Palacios also pointed out that the residents were not asking for anything extreme. 'We weren't asking for mountains to be moved,' she said. 'We were asking for the bare minimum.' She believes the successful contract will help other resident doctors in the state who are still working on their own deals.

Residents at three other Rhode Island hospitals — Women & Infants, Butler, and Kent — also joined CIR/SEIU in 2025. All three of those hospitals are part of a network called Care New England. Their contract talks are still ongoing. Palacios said the win at Rhode Island Hospital has helped push those negotiations forward, and the Rhode Island Hospital residents plan to support their fellow doctors. 'We're grateful that we can now turn our efforts toward getting their contracts ratified as well,' she said.