PROVIDENCE – Approximately 70 residents and fellow physicians rallied outside Rhode Island Hospital on Friday, demanding that their employer, Brown University Health, agree to new contract terms following close to a year of stalled negotiations.
The action was organized by the Committee of Interns and Residents, part of the Service Employees International Union and representing hundreds of resident physicians and fellows at Rhode Island Hospital.
Organizers say their members are in a state of chronic financial stress, grappling with heavy student debt, burnout and substandard pay. Despite working 24-hour shifts and more than 80 hours weekly, many are earning what amounts to minimum wage.
Since unionizing in early 2025, with over 95% voting in favor, Dr. Will Levesque said that to date, the hospital has offered what amounts to a “functional pay cut,” falling below the rate of inflation.
The most recent offer was a three-year contract with 3% pay increase in the first year followed by 1.5% annually for two years, he said.
“The cost of living is simply outpacing the pay that they’re giving residents,” he said.
Levesque said that after completing medical school, residents typically do between three to seven years of specialty training. Hospital managers have the upper hand in negotiations “because you basically get assigned to a hospital,” he said.
”I don’t have the ability to do whatever other Americans do, which is to take my labor somewhere else,” he said. “And that allows hospitals to basically lowball residents because they don’t have another opportunity.”
After the rally, the members and their supporters marched down to the office of Brown University Health CEO John Hernandez.
Levesque holds out hope his employer will make some concessions.
“We are still bargaining with them in good faith,” he said. “We are hoping to move toward a fair contract and get the salary and benefits that we deserve, and what is offered to so many other employees at the hospital but not offered to resident physicians.”
In response, Brown University Health spokesperson Kelly Brennan said contract negotiations with CIR began June 3, 2025, and since then the system has held 22 bargaining sessions, discussing “non-economic and economic proposals.”
There have been 77 tentative agreements and at the most recent session on June 1, “the Hospital made meaningful movement on economic issues,” said Brennan.
“The interns and residents are an essential part of our care teams, and we are grateful for their contributions,” she added. “We remain committed to bargaining in good faith and reaching an agreement that supports our residents and interns while meeting our responsibilities to patients, employees, and the community.”
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
