Almost 1000 University of Minnesota resident and fellow physicians certify union

Following certification by the Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services (BMS) on Friday, May 9, 2025, about 980 resident and fellow physicians at the University of Minnesota are now officially represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR/SEIU). The physicians are some of the first UMN workers to organize following critical reforms to the Minnesota Public Employee Labor Relations Act (PELRA), which made their union possible.

As some 70% of Minnesota’s physicians are trained at the U, physician leaders of the effort say they hope to use their union to lift conditions for both medical training and, ultimately, the health of the state. 

“We work very hard to take care of people all over the Twin Cities and beyond, and burnout is a real problem,” said Dr. Kaitlin McLean. “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.”

UMN housestaff work up to 80 hours a week at the center of care at dozens of facilities across the area, with first-years bringing in as little as $16 an hour. While early-career physicians across the country face high rates of depression, burnout, and even suicide, mental health challenges are compounded for UMN doctors by overwork and inadequate staffing in many of these facilities. 

“We went into medicine to work with patients, and that work is incredibly meaningful, but it can also be a really heavy emotional burden without adequate support structures to ensure we can keep doing this,” said Dr. Dan Ly. “In this environment, we already turn to our co-residents and fellows every day; us unionizing establishes a stronger structure for us to use to support each other, to support patient care.”

From rural clinics to major health hubs in Minneapolis, patients are likely to rely on a U of M resident or fellow for their care, and the newly unionized doctors say winning more support through a union will also help attract passionate physicians who reflect their communities’ diversity.

That aim is shared by many doctors nationwide. CIR/SEIU has rapidly expanded in the Midwest while doubling in size nationally since 2020, as physicians seek to upend a profit-driven status quo in medicine and to put healthcare workers and patients first. Physicians at Hennepin County Medical Center became the first resident and fellow physicians to unionize with CIR/SEIU in Minnesota when BMS certified their union in April. 

The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) is the largest house staff union in the United States. A local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing over 37,000 resident physicians and fellows. Our members are dedicated to improving residency training and education, advancing patient care, and expanding healthcare access for our communities.