Represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents chapter of Service Employees International Union, UCSF residents and fellows in the medical department are hosting lunchtime events today and tomorrow to speak out against current labor practices at the hospital.On Monday, tens of thousands of academic workers at UC campusesdemanding better pay and benefits, according to the workers' union, the United Auto Workers.
Residents and fellows at UCSF won't engage in any work stoppage, but want to signal they're unhappy with the progress at the bargaining table, Kelley Butler, a second-year resident and a resident-led union leader, told Axios.Some UCSF residents can't afford basic necessities, Butler said.
There's a belief, Butler said, across the medical field that "you're supposed to suffer; you're not supposed to be well during residency … but we're here to argue that [shouldn't] be the case."Wednesday's lunchtime event will be at UCSF's Mission Bay campus and Thursday's will be at the Parnassus campus.
I'm in favor of significantly increasing compensation of residents, interns and skilled staff who work excessive s of hours for ridiculously low compensation. But everyone who argues for increased compensation for same must recognize that doing so will increase healthcare costs.