About

RFPU-NW MISSION STATEMENT

Advocate for the medical/dental trainees of the University of Washington and affiliated programs in matters of employment, professional development, and personal development during their training.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

The Resident & Fellow Physician Union – Northwest (RFPU-NW), (fka University of Washington Housestaff Association) is a independent labor union working to promote issues important to residents at the University of Washington affiliated hospitals. The association is run on a voluntary basis by residents and fellows without faculty appointments, including two full-time staff members. Our goal is to provide a forum for discussion and to represent residents and fellows as they interface with the University of Washington. We advocate for residents and fellows with respect to housestaff salary, workplace environment, benefits and social events. We want to improve our training experience as trainees and employees of the University of Washington. 

The Mission of the RFPU-NW is to represent and advocate for its member physicians in obtaining the following:

1. A professional workplace where patient care is placed above all else and not compromised through unsafe work conditions or environments; and
2. Fair compensation for physicians in training, recognizing their collective and extensive education, their debt, their cost of living in a large metropolitan city, their level of responsibility, and hours of providing care to their patients; and
3. Respect and support for the ongoing continuing medical educational needs of the resident physicians; and
4. Justice and due process in all interactions between a resident physician and the clinical departments, hospitals, attending physicians, or any others who seek to have an influence on our members; and
5. Knowledge, skills and information that may be useful to our members either now as physicians in training or later as attendings, especially regarding debt management, retirement planning, or any other personal or professional issues viewed as helpful to our member physicians, and
6. A unified voice in our hospitals and fellowship among members.

Annual Reports