700 Rhode Island Doctors Ratify First Union Contract

Nearly 700 resident physicians and fellows at Rhode Island Hospital have ratified their first union contract, with 95% of participating members voting in favor. The three-year agreement, running through June 2029, provides a 12% increase in base pay, lower health insurance premiums, expanded lactation accommodations and employer 401(k) matching of up to 6%. The contract follows months of negotiations and a campaign focused on low effective hourly pay during long workweeks, student debt and Providence’s cost of living. Union leaders said Rhode Island Hospital is the first of four Rhode Island hospitals whose physicians unionized with the Committee of Interns and Residents in 2025 to reach an agreement; negotiations at the others are ongoing.