Join your union Your union at Cook County Health The HSA represents interns, residents, and fellows at Cook County Health. When you become a dues-paying member, you enhance our ability to negotiate, enforce contracts, support our members, and advocate for improved working conditions, better training, and superior patient care. SIGN UP NOW Eligibility: If you are an intern, resident, or fellow at Stroger Hospital, you can join the HSA. Membership offers benefits such as training on your rights and access to exclusive member savings. How to Join: Fill out the form below, email us at admin@hsacc.org , or contact your representative. Monthly Meetings: All members are welcome to our monthly council meeting on the first Thursday of each month from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM, held in person with a virtual option. Non-members may attend with council approval. For details, email admin@hsacc.org or reach out to your representative. Why Join HSA? Stronger Contract Enforcement Your dues support the resources HSA needs to enforce the contract and protect members’ rights. More Bargaining Power Membership gives HSA the strength to fight for better pay, benefits, scheduling protections, leave, educational support, and safer working conditions. Support When Issues Come Up HSA helps members navigate workplace concerns, grievances, remediation, discipline, pay issues, reimbursement problems, scheduling concerns, and more. Member Benefits HSA members can access union benefits, discounts, and resources through HSA, NUHHCE, AFSCME, and Union Plus. We Are Physicians and Trainees HSA members are both physicians and trainees. Our contract helps protect the conditions that make strong training possible — including fair schedules, educational support, due process, and a voice in decisions that affect patient care and residency education. Through HSA, residents and fellows can organize around issues like remediation, advancement, supervision, educational time, reimbursements, patient care standards, and safe working conditions. While the ACGME standards set important minimum requirements, but a union contract gives housestaff a legally binding way to enforce workplace rights and negotiate protections that reflect the reality of training at Cook County. Training protections Advancement, supervision, remediation, and non-renewal should be fair and transparent. Educational support Stipends, reimbursements, board prep, and required materials matter. Due process Career-impacting decisions should not happen without a clear process. Patient care voice Residents and fellows need a say in the systems where they provide care. When housestaff organize together, we strengthen both our workplace and our training. Unions Make Work Better Unions protect benefits Union contracts help secure leave, health insurance, disability benefits, and paid holidays. Union contracts help raise standards for everyone — and they are especially important for workers who are too often underpaid, undervalued, or excluded from workplace power. Unions narrow pay gaps Collective bargaining helps reduce racial and gender wage gaps. Unions raise wages Union workers earn more on average than nonunion workers. Unions give workers a voice A union gives workers a collective way to address safety, scheduling, discrimination, and workplace concerns. Stronger together. Better for everyone. Did you know unions help close pay gaps? +9.8% Women represented by a union are paid more than nonunion women on average. +12.6% Black workers represented by a union are paid more than nonunion Black workers on average. +16.4% Hispanic workers represented by a union are paid more than nonunion Hispanic workers on average. Source: Economic Policy Institute analysis of union representation and wages.

House Staff Association of Cook County (HSA) is the labor union representing the residents and fellows of John H. Stroger Hospital. Your union at Cook County Health Fighting for housestaff and patients since 1974 Interns, residents, and fellows have always played an essential role at Cook County Hospital, now John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County. Housestaff provide frontline care, carry major responsibility for patient care, and see firsthand how hospital policies affect both workers and patients. The House Staff Association was formed because residents and fellows understood that improving working conditions, protecting medical education, and improving patient care are deeply connected. Watch 1975 HSA Strike Documentary Learn About Our Union Family Union Timeline Join HSA One of the first housestaff unions in the country The 1975 doctors’ strike In the early 1970s, residents at Cook County Hospital became one of the first housestaff groups in the country to unionize. HSA grew out of decades of efforts by housestaff to improve the quality of patient care, strengthen residency training, and give frontline physicians a real voice in hospital decision-making. In 1975, HSA went on strike to demand the staff, equipment, and resources necessary to provide quality medical care to County Hospital patients. After an 18-day strike --one of the longest doctors’ strikes in U.S. history -- HSA won the right to have a meaningful voice in patient care decisions and quality standards. The contract included patient care improvements and created the Medical Care Review Committee to address future patient care problems. Defending Cook County Hospital During the financial crises of the late 1970s and beyond, Cook County Hospital faced funding cuts, staff reductions, delayed building improvements, and threats to essential services. HSA joined with other unions, community groups, patients, and advocates to defend Cook County Hospital and the communities it serves. HSA has long understood that protecting public health care means organizing alongside the patients and communities who rely on it. Affiliation with NUHHCE / AFSCME A voice in hospital change In 1993, HSA members voted to affiliate with the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, NUHHCE, the health care division of AFSCME. This affiliation strengthened HSA’s ability to organize, bargain, conduct research, enforce the contract, and advocate around patient care, public health, and the future of graduate medical education. HSA has continued to advocate through periods of hospital restructuring, staffing changes, program changes, and major institutional transition. When the new Stroger Hospital opened in 2002, and as Cook County Health expanded ambulatory and community-based care, HSA continued to push for housestaff and patient voices to be included in decisions that affect care. HSA has also fought to protect residency programs, including challenging decisions that affected Family Medicine. In 2017, Family and Community Medicine reopened, and those residents have remained an important part of HSA and the broader Cook County housestaff community. HSA during COVID-19 HSA today During the COVID-19 pandemic, HSA advocated for the safety of housestaff and patients, including access to proper PPE, safer staffing, and compensation for the extraordinary workload placed on residents and fellows. The pandemic made clear what HSA has always known: housestaff working conditions are patient care conditions. Today, HSA continues to represent interns, residents, and fellows at Cook County Health. Our contract protects wages, benefits, educational rights, working conditions, due process, and housestaff participation in patient care standards. HSA’s history is rooted in the belief that residents and fellows deserve a voice, and that when housestaff organize together, we can improve both our workplace and the care our patients receive. Labor Stories: HSA Strike 1975 Labor Stories: HSA Strike 1975 Labor Stories: HSA Strike 1975 Labor Stories: HSA Strike 1975 Hear from the original house staff association organizers and community as they build their union and fight for better patient care and worker safety. Our Union Family HSA’s history is local, but it is not isolated. Our union was built by Cook County residents and fellows who understood that working conditions, medical education, and patient care are deeply connected. That same belief runs through the history of NUHHCE, AFSCME, and the AFL-CIO: workers deserve a voice, and public institutions are stronger when the people doing the work can speak up collectively. For HSA members, this history is not just symbolic. It gives us a connection to generations of workers who organized for safer workplaces, fair wages, collective bargaining rights, civil rights, better public services, and stronger health care institutions. When residents and fellows organize through HSA, we are carrying that history forward — as health care workers, as public service workers, and as part of the labor movement. HSA’s history at Cook County is part of a much larger labor history. HSA is affiliated with NUHHCE, the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, AFSCME, AFL-CIO. Through that affiliation, HSA is connected to generations of health care workers, public service workers, and union members across the country who have organized for dignity, safety, fair pay, civil rights, and a real voice at work. Rooted in Health Care Worker Organizing NUHHCE’s history began with health care workers organizing for respect, fair treatment, and better conditions in hospitals and health care institutions. Its roots trace back to Local 1199, a union known for organizing hospital and health care workers and for connecting workplace struggles to broader fights for civil rights and social justice. For HSA, that history matters. Residents and fellows are physicians in training, but we are also health care workers. Our working conditions affect our education, our well-being, and the care our patients receive. HSA’s affiliation with NUHHCE connects Cook County housestaff to a broader tradition of health care workers organizing to improve both their workplaces and their institutions. Part of the Public Service Labor Movement NUHHCE is affiliated with AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. AFSCME represents public service workers across the country — workers who keep hospitals, schools, cities, counties, public agencies, and essential services running. AFSCME’s history includes major struggles for collective bargaining, public sector union rights, safe working conditions, and dignity on the job, including the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers’ strike. That history reflects a core belief that public workers deserve respect, protection, and a voice in the services they provide. HSA shares that public service mission. Cook County Health is a public health system, and HSA members care for patients who rely on that system. Our fight for fair schedules, safe staffing, strong training, and due process is also a fight for a stronger public hospital. Connected to the Broader Labor Movement AFSCME is part of the AFL-CIO, the national federation of unions representing workers across many industries. The AFL-CIO connects unions in health care, education, public service, transportation, construction, communications, manufacturing, and more. Through the AFL-CIO, HSA is connected to the broader labor movement’s long fight for workplace rights, fair wages, health and safety protections, anti-discrimination protections, family leave, collective bargaining, and democracy at work. Use the timeline below to see how HSA’s work fits into the history of NUHHCE, AFSCME, and the AFL-CIO. To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Your union is led by residents and fellows. The Housestaff Association is run by interns, residents, and fellows at Cook County Health who volunteer their time to represent their departments, support coworkers, raise workplace and education issues, and help enforce the HSA contract. Your HSA representatives are here to help you understand your rights, connect you with the right resources, and bring member concerns to HSA leadership, labor-management meetings, GMEC, MCRC, and other hospital committees. Representatives Contact HSA Not sure who your representative is or where to start? Email: admin@hsacc.org Website: hsacc.org Instagram: @housestaffassociation You can reach out with questions about scheduling, pay, benefits, reimbursements, leave, discipline/remediation concerns, patient care issues, safety concerns, or general union questions. Amelia Lerch HSA President Jessica Akpabio Vice President/Grievance Chair Sabrina Heline Treasurer Noelle Krueger Secretary Find your department rep Department RepresentativesDepartment representatives are the main point of contact between HSA and each residency or fellowship program. Reps help identify workplace issues, share union updates, connect members with resources, and bring department concerns to HSA leadership. Ashkhan Hojati Anesthesiology Warner Robinson Dermatology Jamie Naso Emergency Medicine Anirudh Chitale Emergency Medicine Marina Wolf Emergency Medicine Amelia Lerch President Family Medicine Joseph Rumenapp Grievance Committee Family Medicine Caroline Garcia Family Medicine Jude-Patrick Nnamdi Okafor Family Medicine Noelle Krueger Secretary Internal Medicine Ogaga Urhie Internal Medicine Jessica Akpabio Vice President Grievance Chair Internal Medicine Sabrina Heline Treasurer Internal Medicine Ahamed Milhan Radiology Mackenzie Flynn Organizer and Admin Don’t see a representative from your department? HSA is always looking for residents and fellows who want to help represent their program. You do not need to be a contract expert to get involved, HSA provides support and guidance. Download Representative Petition Download Officer Petition

Privacy Policy What type of information do we collect? We receive, collect and store any information you enter on our website or provide us in any other way. In addition, we collect the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Internet; e-mail address. We may use software tools to measure and collect session information, including page response times, length of visits to certain pages, page interaction information, and methods used to browse away from the page. We also collect personally identifiable information (including name, email, communications) when supplied to us by the user. How do we collect information? When you use the Contact Us form, as part of the process of replying to your message, we collect personal information you give us (your name and email address), and this information will only be used to reply to your message and provide follow up information as required. We do not directly collect cookies, but as a website hosted on the Wix.com platform, Wix.com collects a small number of essential cookies for website functionality. A list of these cookies can be found at Wix.com . Why do we collect personal information? We collect such Non-personal and Personal Information for the following purposes: To communicate back to individuals who contact us via the site; To create aggregated statistical data and other aggregated and/or inferred Non-personal Information, which we or Wix.com or Google Analytics may use to provide and improve our respective services; To comply with any applicable laws and regulations. How do we store our site visitors' personal information? HSACC.org is hosted on the Wix.com platform. Wix.com provides us with the online platform that allows us to offer online communication services to you. Your data may be stored through Wix.com’s data storage, databases and the general Wix.com applications. They store your data on secure servers behind a firewall. How do we distribute collected information? We will not disclose without your consent personal information collected about you, except for certain explicit circumstances in which disclosure is required by law. We will not sell personal information to third-party organizations. We will only distribute de-identified information to Wix.com and Google Analytics as required for the functioning of those services. How do we communicate with our site visitors? We may contact you to poll your opinions through surveys or questionnaires and to send updates about our organization. For these purposes we may contact you via email or other method if explicitly requested by you. How can our site visitors withdraw their consent? If you don’t want us to process your data anymore, please contact us using the Contact Us form. Privacy policy updates This Privacy Statement was last revised on April 14, 2022. We reserve the right to modify this privacy policy at any time, so please review it frequently. Changes and clarifications will take effect immediately upon their posting on the website. If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated, so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it. Responsibility for External Sites: This website may contain links to other web sites. Some of those web sites may be operated by third parties. We provide the links for your convenience, but we do not review, control, or monitor the privacy practices of web sites operated by others. We are not responsible for the performance of web sites operated by third parties or for your business dealings with them. Therefore, whenever you leave this website we recommend that you review each website's privacy practices and make your own conclusions regarding the adequacy of these practices. If you would like to: access, correct, amend or delete any personal information we have about you, you are invited to contact us using the Contact Us form. The following links explain how to access cookie settings in various browsers: Cookie settings in Firefox Cookie settings in Internet Explorer Cookie settings in Google Chrome Cookie settings in Safari (OS X) Cookie settings in Safari (iOS) Cookie settings in Android To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites, visit this link: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

Find answers to frequently asked questions Having a union means that we are responsible to ourselves and each other. When we stand together we can have power to make positive changes at Stroger/Cook County Health. It’s up to us to ensure that we take care of our patients, ourselves, and raise the standards for residents everywhere. That can only be done through collective bargaining, which gives us a seat at the table with top decision makers to negotiate for what we and our patients deserve. Although we know that residency should be hard work, we also know that it shouldn't mean cuts in staff wellness, and patient care. Throughout the country we have seen what other residents band together as union members and win huge improvements, such as: Paid time off (holidays, vacation, sick, personal, bereavement) Free union / legal representation on the job Fair pay / negotiated raises Health insurance benefits Paid Family and parental leave Paid time for Professional Conventions Education allowance Meal allowances Moonlighting pay Bereavement Leave Patient Care Standards Committee AND MORE Need more information? Contact HSA FAQs Jump to IMG Student FAQ What is a union? A union is simply you and your coworkers coming together to make positive changes you couldn’t otherwise make alone. How could joining HSA benefit me personally as a healthcare worker? By joining HSA, you would gain the power to negotiate collectively for better pay, improved working conditions, benefits, and job security. Unions amplify your voice and provide the opportunity to make positive changes in your workplace. Plus, being part of a union means having access to resources and support when you need it. What role do unions play in improving patient care and safety? Unions understand the critical link between healthcare worker well-being and patient care. HSA actively works to improve patient care and safety by fighting for adequate staffing, necessary resources, and safer environments for our members. This ensures healthcare workers can provide high-quality care to their patients. What are my rights as a union member? Union members get to vote on their own leadership as well as what goes into their contracts. If you have any workplace questions or need representation for a disciplinary meeting you can contact a union representative where you work, the members at each workplace oversee their own union. The union is not an “outsider.” The union is you! What are union dues and how much are they? Your union dues are your power. They pay for the resources you need to win the things you want in your contract, and to enforce that contract once you bargain it. Union members set the price of dues through your democratic governance structure and every penny of it goes to fighting to win better working conditions and grow our members power. They are 1% of the PGY2 Salary. How does collective bargaining work? Your union contract is renegotiated every 4 years. The current contract however has been extended to 2025. Next year you will nominate a group of HSA representatives to bargain collectively for your wages, benefits, and terms and conditions of employment (starting from where we are at, not zero). As a group you decide what you want to bargain for and your bargaining team will draft proposals and sit down with management / decision makers to negotiate contract changes. Once both sides reach a deal, HSA members will decide whether or not to accept those changes/additions in a vote. Will my employer retaliate if I am in a union? No! Employers cannot infringe on your section 7 workers rights. Meaning that employers cannot threaten you, they cannot spy on union activity - or create the impression of such surveillance, they cannot promise improvements/promotions (however if you were offered a raise your employer would only have to ask your union to ‘Okay’ it) - your employer cannot interrogate you about any union activity, and lastly, your employer cannot punish you for union activity - being involved, talking about your union at work, wearing HSA apparel or buttons, etc. Will I be forced to participate in strikes if I join HSA? No. People don’t choose to strike easily. To go on strike is a last resort that you and your coworkers decide on together through a democratic process when staying at work and accepting less is not an option for you and your families. The vote must show overwhelming support to strike (about 90%) for your bargaining team to be able to call a strike. Your Legal Rights On The Job Your Legal Rights On The Job Your Legal Rights On The Job Your Legal Rights On The Job International Medical Graduates, Visas & Union Rights Can international medical graduates join HSA? Yes. International medical graduates who are interns, residents, or fellows at Cook County Health are part of the HSA bargaining unit and can become dues-paying HSA members.HSA represents housestaff regardless of where they attended medical school, what country they are from, or what visa status they hold. Can J-1 or H-1B residents and fellows join the union? Yes. Residents and fellows on J-1 or H-1B visas can join HSA, participate in union activity, attend meetings, vote if they are dues-paying members, and raise workplace concerns. Union activity is about improving wages, benefits, working conditions, training conditions, and patient care. Joining HSA does not change your visa status. Can my program retaliate against me for joining HSA? No. HSA members have the right to join together to improve working conditions and advocate for themselves and their coworkers. Retaliation for union activity is not allowed. If you ever feel pressured, threatened, questioned, isolated, or treated differently because of union activity, contact HSA right away. I am worried because my visa depends on my training position. Should I still contact HSA? Yes. We understand that IMG residents and fellows may feel extra pressure because their training, employment, and visa status can feel connected. If you are facing a workplace issue, remediation concern, discipline, non-renewal, scheduling issue, pay problem, leave issue, or concern about retaliation, contact HSA early. HSA can help you understand the workplace process, your contract rights, and what support may be available.HSA does not provide immigration legal advice, but we can help identify workplace issues and connect you with appropriate support when needed. Does HSA handle visa sponsorship or immigration paperwork? No. Visa sponsorship and immigration paperwork are handled through the appropriate institutional and immigration channels, such as GME, Cook County Health, ECFMG/Intealth for J-1 physicians, or the relevant immigration office or attorney. HSA can help with workplace and contract-related issues, including if a workplace concern overlaps with training, employment, remediation, leave, or retaliation. Can HSA help if I have concerns about remediation, non-renewal, or advancement? Yes. HSA can help residents and fellows understand contract protections related to evaluations, remediation, discipline, due process, renewal, and advancement through training. If you are placed on remediation, called into a meeting, asked to sign a document, or told your advancement or renewal may be at risk, contact HSA as early as possible. Are IMGs protected if they speak up about patient care, safety, or working conditions? Yes. Residents and fellows should be able to raise concerns about patient care, safety, scheduling, training, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and working conditions. If you are concerned about how to raise an issue safely, contact HSA and we can help you think through the best next step. Who should I contact? For workplace or contract questions, contact HSA: HSA Board: admin@hsacc.org Grievance Support: grievances@hsacc.org For immigration-specific legal advice, visa status questions, or individual immigration strategy, contact the appropriate immigration office or a qualified immigration attorney.

House Staff Association of Cook County (HSA) is a labor union serving the housestaff of John H. Stroger Hospital in Cook County, IL. The House Staff Association of Cook County represents interns, residents, and fellows at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County. Since 1974, HSA has used the collective voice of housestaff to improve our working conditions, protect our rights, strengthen our training, and advocate for the patients and communities we serve. HSA is affiliated with NUHHCE, the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees , AFSCME , AFL-CIO. What HSA Fights For 2026 For Housestaff Fair salary, stipends, and benefits Safer schedules and better working conditions Due process, representation, and contract enforcement Educational protections and training support Resident and fellow wellbeing 1979 For Patients Stronger patient care standards Safe staffing and appropriate support services A voice for frontline physicians in hospital decision-making Advocacy for the communities served by Cook County Health What Do You Need Today? Join HSA Become a dues-paying member and help strengthen our ability to enforce the contract, organize around workplace issues, and advocate for housestaff. Read the Contract View the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, extension agreement, and commonly used contract sections. Find Your Representative Identify your department representative or HSA board member and learn how to get involved. Request Support Have a workplace issue, scheduling concern, pay problem, remediation concern, or question about your rights? Start here. Report a Patient Care or Safety Concern Share concerns related to patient care, safety, staffing, workflow, or working conditions. Recent HSA Priorities HSA continues to organize around the issues that matter most to residents and fellows, including compensation, scheduling, educational protections, benefits, reimbursements, patient care, safety, and contract enforcement. Our union is strongest when members participate, raise issues early, and stay connected with their representatives. Get Involved You do not need to be a contract expert to get involved with HSA. Members can serve as department representatives, join committees, support outreach, participate in labor-management priorities, and help build a stronger union at Cook County. Join HSA Know Your Contract Meet Your Representatives Get Help From HSA Contact HSA Join the Board 1/2

Acerca de Know Your Contract Current Collective Bargaining Agreement The Housestaff Association Collective Bargaining Agreement is the contract between HSA and Cook County Health. It establishes many of the rights, benefits, protections, and working conditions that apply to interns, residents, and fellows in the bargaining unit. Below you can view or download the current full Collective Bargaining Agreement and the current contract extension agreement. Full Collective Bargaining Agreement Review the complete HSA Collective Bargaining Agreement, including provisions related to compensation, benefits, scheduling, leave, educational support, grievances, discipline, and more. Quick Contract Highlights The current agreement includes important protections and benefits for HSA-represented residents and fellows, including: Commonly Used Sections: Salary & Stipends — pp. 3, 6, 8–11 Hours & Scheduling — pp. 28–31 Educational Stipend — p. 42 Leave — pp. 31–36 Discipline & Remediation — pp. 43–45 Grievance Procedure — pp. 45–48 Disability Insurance — p. 40 Wage increases through the current extension period. A $2,500 lump-sum payment for eligible housestaff working in December 2025 A $240 per-paycheck meal stipend Health, dental, vision, and disability benefits Educational stipend and reimbursement protections Limits and protections related to work hours and scheduling Due process and representation in disciplinary or remediation-related matters A formal grievance process to enforce the contract Paid leave and holiday protections Not Sure What Applies to Your Situation? The contract can be lengthy, and not every workplace issue is straightforward. Reach out to HSA if you have questions about scheduling, compensation, leave, reimbursements, benefits, discipline, patient care, safety, or another workplace concern. Email HSA: admin@hsacc.org Grievance Support: grievances@hsacc.org Need Help With a Workplace Issue? If you believe the contract may have been violated, or you are unsure where to start, contact HSA before responding to management or signing documents related to a workplace concern. Contact HSA / Request Support

Forms & Requests Go to: FAQs Workplace Support For workplace issues involving pay, scheduling, leave, discipline, remediation, contract violations, or other concerns. For residents or fellows placed on a PIP, remediation plan, probation, non-renewal concern, or other training-related process. Education & Training For concerns related to curriculum, supervision, didactics, rotation structure, evaluations, educational time, or training quality. For patient care, workflow, staffing, or systems issues affecting residents, fellows, or patients.Safety, For safety concerns, workplace hazards, staffing issues, facilities concerns, or working conditions. Get Involved For residents and fellows who want to become dues-paying members. For members interested in joining the board, becoming a department representative, or serving on a committee. Request Grievance Support Confidential PIP Reporting Form Submit a Concern or Update to the GMEC Chairs Patient Care & Safety Safety, Health & Working Conditions Survey Join HSA / Membership Form Board / Representative Interest Form Union Member Benefits Benefits for HSA-Represented Housestaff These benefits are negotiated through the HSA contract and apply to eligible housestaff in the bargaining unit. Salary & Raises HSA negotiates salary schedules and wage increases through the collective bargaining agreement. Salary increases are based on PGY level and negotiated contract increases. Meal Stipend HSA has negotiated a meal stipend for housestaff. Under the current extension agreement, the meal stipend increased to $240 per pay period. Educational Stipend Housestaff receive an educational stipend that can be used for eligible educational expenses, including conference expenses, study materials, exams, smartphones, laptops, and other approved training-related costs. Health, Dental & Vision Insurance Eligible housestaff have access to health insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance through Cook County Health. Details are available in the HSA contract and through Cook County benefits materials. Disability Insurance Eligible housestaff receive disability insurance coverage through the HSA Benefit Trust. HSA also provides information about optional additional disability coverage for members. Paid Leave & Holidays The HSA contract includes protections for paid time off, sick leave, bereavement leave, holidays, paid parental leave, and other forms of leave. The current agreement includes additional holiday protections, including Pulaski Day and Juneteenth. Representation & Contract Enforcement HSA represents housestaff in enforcing the contract and addressing workplace issues, including concerns related to pay, scheduling, leave, remediation, discipline, reimbursements, safety, and working conditions. Additional Benefits for Dues-Paying HSA Members Dues-paying HSA members help fund the work needed to bargain strong contracts, enforce the agreement, support members, and organize around workplace issues. Members may also access additional union benefits and resources through HSA, NUHHCE, AFSCME, and Union Plus, including: Optional additional disability insurance opportunities AFSCME Advantage benefits Union Plus discounts and resources Legal service discounts Home and renters insurance options Auto insurance and car rental discounts Moving discounts Additional member-only resources and support Need Help Accessing a Benefit? If you have questions about salary, stipends, reimbursements, disability insurance, leave, health insurance, or other benefits, contact HSA. UNION PLUS SIGN UP Benefits available only to HSA members: Additional disability insurance coverage Opportunity for HSA members to purchase additional Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) disability coverage with benefits that include: No medical underwriting Options of $2,500, $5,000, or $7,500/month or above (on year graduation) for non-cancellable/guaranteed renewable coverage 15% discount from gender-neutral rates Contact an insurance rep here . Disability insurance Premium is paid by the HSA, so no direct cost to house staff. The plan is through Northwestern Mutual. Maximum monthly benefit is $2,500. Benefits accrue on the 91st day of disability. Benefits are payable until your Social Security normal retirement age. Able to convert to personal plan after residency. Full plan available here . Employer assistance program Confidential counseling; identity theft and fraud resolution; will/durable power of attorney preparation; legal assistance; etc. Summary flyer available here , and website available here! Disability insurance terms, eligibility, rates, and coverage options may vary. Please review the full plan documents and speak with the insurance representative for details. Become an HSA member today! HSA dues are 1% of the PGY2 salary, but the benefits of union membership are invaluable. Over the last fifty years, our union has worked tirelessly to secure better salaries, improved working conditions, and enhanced benefits for the Housestaff at Cook County. As interns, residents, and fellows, we are on the front lines of patient care, and our work conditions directly affect the quality of care we provide. By coming together as a union, we strengthen our commitment to advocating for changes that ensure our patients receive the best possible treatment. When residents are empowered and supported, they can focus more on patient well-being rather than facing challenges alone. Sign up here!

In November 2023, all 27 resident doctors who work at West Suburban Medical Center, located on the border of the Austin neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago and the suburb of Oak Park, signed union authorization cards, held a union election and won with a unanimous victory. Joining the House Staff Association, which has been fighting for the wellbeing of patients and residents since 1974. "We are unionizing because all healthcare and hospital workers deserve fair treatment and fair compensation and because our patients deserve better services and resources.” - Dr. Clarissa O'Conor, Former organizer and Bargaining Team member. "We are unionizing because all healthcare and hospital workers deserve fair treatment and fair compensation and because our patients deserve better services and resources.” - Dr. Clarissa O'Conor, Former organizer and Bargaining Team member. "We are unionizing because all healthcare and hospital workers deserve fair treatment and fair compensation and because our patients deserve better services and resources.” - Dr. Clarissa O'Conor, Former organizer and Bargaining Team member. "We are unionizing because all healthcare and hospital workers deserve fair treatment and fair compensation and because our patients deserve better services and resources.” - Dr. Clarissa O'Conor, Former organizer and Bargaining Team member. Since unionizing in November, ongoing contract negotiations between the resident union and hospital CEO Manoj Prasad have stalled. Prasad continues to refuse to provide a budget for the residency program, or allocate graduate medical education (GME) funds to curriculum advancement. Over the last several contract bargaining sessions, Prasad and his legal team have stonewalled the residents and struck down all proposals to improve the residents’ working conditions, including providing safe drinking water and working telephones. The Family Medicine Residency at West Suburban was once regarded as a top program with a long history of providing robust, full-spectrum family medicine training. In the past, residents learned directly from doctors of family medicine, cardiology (including cardiac surgeons), intensive care, and other specialists. In the last few years, however, resident education has seen a steep decline due to multiple changes in hospital ownership. The hospital receives hundreds of thousands of federal dollars every year to support the residency program, however that money is not allocated to resident raises, resident training, or reasonable compensation for teaching faculty. West Suburban Leadership have strategically destroyed the structure of the residency program. Working conditions under Prasad and Fitzpatrick have been so volatile over the last several months that multiple faculty have resigned, leaving the program currently with only three core faculty, when at least eight are required to sustain a functioning program, per ACGME - the national residency accrediting body. Necessary requirements to graduate from a family medicine residency program- such as resident-led research projects, weekly protected instructional time, and faculty mentorship all which are set by the ACGME- have not and will not be completed with all but three faculty members left to lead these roles. Residents have to seek out external learning opportunities to fulfill both required and desired learning that residents (as well as faculty) deem necessary for their career goals. Residents must also fund their external learning opportunities, including malpractice if said opportunity is out-of-state, as current CME (Continuing Medical Education- funds provided to doctors by their employer to remain up-to-date on the most current medical information) is woefully insufficient. Some residents have even expressed a desire to seek open spots in other programs in pursuit of a better education. The hospital also suffers from dire patient safety issues. Many residents, nurses, attendings and other personnel can attest to multiple incidences where a specialist could not be reached or equipment malfunctioned (or simply was not available) in a life-or-death situation. There are patients who decompensate because they have not been seen by a doctor in 24 hours. There are cardiac arrest events without a working defibrillator. All of these traumatic patient experiences fall on the residents, who are required to assume responsibility of care in these situations, regardless of who the patient’s primary provider is. Residents have served as primary advocates for these patients, fighting daily to address and improve these conditions via the hospital’s patient safety event reporting system, but to no avail. Despite residents speaking about these concerns over and over, Prasad and Fitzpatrick claim there are no patient safety issues at West Suburban Medical Center. As residents continue to escalate these concerns - concerns that are shared by all hospital staff - to hospital leadership, Prasad has retaliated by barring residents and faculty from patient safety meetings, claiming he is working with a small group to address these issues instead. The residents of West Suburban Medical Center strive to provide excellent patient care in the face of disinvestment in the surrounding community, however there is only so much we can do with a system so broken. The goals of a for-profit healthcare system at West Suburban are in opposition to its needs as a safety-net hospital. Moreover, West Suburban’s descent into poor patient care and safety, as well as lack of adequate medical personnel reflects a disinvestment in the Black and Brown communities it serves. Follow @ residentsunitedatwestsuburban on Instagram!