Chicago resident physicians secure contract as others prepare to rally

Resident physicians and fellows at one Chicago-based organization have ratified their first labor contract as members of the same union at another continue to negotiate with their health system. Physicians at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University — the nonprofit that sponsors Northwestern’s residency and fellowship programs — ratified the deal Sept. 15-19, more than a year after physicians unionized in January 2024. They reached a tentative agreement with hospital administrators Sept. 5 after they held a unity break action outside Northwestern Memorial Hospital in August.

The agreement covers nearly 1,300 resident physicians employed by McGaw. “This is an exciting moment for the residents and fellows of McGaw and the patients that we serve,” Whitney Jones, MD, a general surgery