The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) is a labor union affiliated with the SEIU, which represents resident and intern physicians and promotes several left-of-center policy priorities. The union has about 24,000 members in New York, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Florida, California, New Mexico, Massachusetts, and Vermont. ¹

CIR endorsed many prominent Democratic candidates in the 2022 midterm elections, including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). ² The union has called American student debt a “devastating financial crisis” that the federal government should solve by forgiving all student debt. ³ CIR is also a strong supporter of abortion rights, stating that it “opposes any limitations to abortion access on the state or federal level.” ⁴

Agenda

Endorsements

In the 2022 midterm elections, the Committee of Interns and Residents endorsed Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). The union also endorsed former Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL) for governor and then-Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) for U.S. Senate in Florida. ⁵

Student Loan Forgiveness

CIR has expressed the view that all student debt should be forgiven. ⁶ Furthermore, CIR has stated that “systemic inequities exacerbate this crisis as women, African Americans, and those from low socio-economic communities are overburdened with a disproportionate share of that debt.” ⁷

Abortion

The Committee of Interns and Residents says that it “unwaveringly stands committed to reproductive justice and opposes any limitations to abortion access on the state or federal level.” ⁸ The union said that limiting abortion “is an egregious attack on human rights.” ⁹ In a separate statement, CIR said, “there are no words to express our profound sadness and anger that abortion is now criminalized.” ¹⁰

History

CIR was founded in 1957 by resident physicians in New York City hospitals, and in 1958 it negotiated the first collective bargaining agreement for residents in the United States. ¹¹ In 1975, the Committee of Interns and Residents led a strike in several New York City hospitals, and during the 1980s the union expanded in New York and New Jersey and added hospitals in Washington, D.C. ¹² In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the CIR negotiated maternity leave in its contracts and lobbied for regulations that set maximum work-hour limits for medical residents. ¹³

In the late 1990s, the CIR voted to affiliate with the SEIU and won a labor relations case at the National Labor Relations Board, which guaranteed the right of residents in private hospitals to join a union. ¹⁴ The union also lobbied for the passage of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, in 2010. ¹⁵

Finances

In 2019, the Committee of Interns and Residents had a total revenue of $13,810,237 and total expenses of $11,434,014. ¹⁶ Of CIR’s total revenue, $13,275,035 came from membership dues, and the organization gave $37,292 to a 527 organization run by CIR-SEIU Healthcare Local 1957. ^{17 18}

1. Committee of Interns and Residents. “Home.” https://www.cirseiu.org/. Accessed March 29, 2023.
2. Committee of Interns and Residents. “General Election: November 8, 2022.” https://www.cirseiu.org/vote/. Accessed March 28, 2023.
3. Committee of Interns and Residents. “Forgive Student Debt for All.” https://www.cirseiu.org/forgive-student-debt-4-all/. Accessed March 28, 2023.
4. Committee of Interns and Residents. “CIR Stands Committed To Abortion Rights and Reproductive Justice.” May 4, 2022. https://www.cirseiu.org/cir-stands-committed-to-abortion-rights-and-reproductive-justice/.
5. Committee of Interns and Residents. “General Election: November 8, 2022.” https://www.cirseiu.org/vote/. Accessed March 28, 2023.
6. Committee of Interns and Residents. “Forgive Student Debt for All.” https://www.cirseiu.org/forgive-student-debt-4-all/. Accessed March 28, 2023.
7. Committee of Interns and Residents. “Forgive Student Debt for All.” https://www.cirseiu.org/forgive-student-debt-4-all/. Accessed March 28, 2023.
8. Committee of Interns and Residents. “CIR Stands Committed To Abortion Rights and Reproductive Justice.” May 4, 2022. https://www.cirseiu.org/cir-stands-committed-to-abortion-rights-and-reproductive-justice/.
9. Committee of Interns and Residents. “CIR Stands Committed To Abortion Rights and Reproductive Justice.” May 4, 2022. https://www.cirseiu.org/cir-stands-committed-to-abortion-rights-and-reproductive-justice/.
10. Committee of Interns and Residents. “Statement from the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU on Roe v. Wade Decision.” June 25, 2022. https://www.cirseiu.org/statement-from-the-committee-of-interns-and-residents-seiu-on-roe-v-wade-decision/.
11. Committee of Interns and Residents. “Our History.” https://www.cirseiu.org/our-history-2/. Accessed March 27, 2023.
12. Committee of Interns and Residents. “The Archives of CIR.” https://sites.google.com/site/historyofcir/#:~:text=CIR%20was%20founded%20in%201957,only%20housestaff%2Dadministered%20benefit%20plan.. Accessed March 27, 2023.
13. Committee of Interns and Residents. “Our History.” https://www.cirseiu.org/our-history-2/. Accessed March 27, 2023.
14. Committee of Interns and Residents. “Our History.” https://www.cirseiu.org/our-history-2/. Accessed March 27, 2023.
15. Committee of Interns and Residents. “Our History.” https://www.cirseiu.org/our-history-2/. Accessed March 27, 2023.
16. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Committee of Interns and Residents. 2019. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/132771401/202111379349308806/full. Accessed March 26, 2023.
17. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Committee of Interns and Residents. 2019. Schedule C, Part III-B. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/132771401/202111379349308806/full. Accessed March 26, 2023.
18. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Committee of Interns and Residents. 2019. Schedule C, Part I-C. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/132771401/202111379349308806/full. Accessed March 26, 2023.