\u201cIt\u2019s absurd for a medical union to ignore other issues and just demonize Israel and Zionists,\u201d American Jewish Dr. Jacob Agronin, a Philadelphia-based cardiology fellow, told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.<\/p>\n
He testified<\/a> at the recent subcommittee of the US Committee on Education and Workforce that his union, the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR), publicly supports terror sympathizers and formally endorses the exclusion of Israeli colleagues based on national origin.<\/p>\n He also said the union has declared the State of Israel guilty of apartheid and genocide as a matter of official organizational doctrine.<\/p>\n CIR is the largest house staff union in the United States, currently representing approximately 37,000 residents and fellow physicians.<\/p>\n Resident physicians and fellows represented by a CIR chapter typically pay union dues (around 1.5% of base pay), which go directly toward supporting collective bargaining, legal representation, and contract negotiation costs. Whether or not employees have to pay dues or agency fees depends on the state and hospital.<\/p>\n While Agronin told the Post he has had \u201cessentially zero contact,\u201d a lawyer for the American Jewish Medical Association (AJMA) drafted a letter over the summer and sent it to Agronin\u2019s hospital, saying CIR is \u201cantisemitic\u201d and that the hospital should not force its Jewish residents to pay dues if they don\u2019t want any connection to the union.<\/p>\n Jewish residents and fellows request option to dissociate from union<\/p>\n \u201cBasically requesting the hospital leave out the forced dues clause from the contract,\u201d he explained. Agronin said he thinks they\u2019re getting closer to a final contract, but that there are still some negotiation meetings happening in June.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re sending another letter on behalf of the AJMA, reiterating a request to exclude a forced dues clause,\u201d he said. \u201cMy hope would be that this would set a precedent that we could take to other programs and other hospitals that are either, you know, like starting initial negotiations with CIR or whether contracts are up for renewal.\u201d<\/p>\n The main purpose of the CIR union is to negotiate fair contracts on behalf of residents and fellows. This protects residents and fellows from predatory practices by their individual hospitals. Should any members need legal representation or somebody on their behalf to support them against a hospital or disciplinary action, the Union would be there to do that.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, in their own documents<\/a>, and their own postings, they\u2019ve said that they will provide support to those who are facing disciplinary action for speaking in support of Palestine or against Israel,\u201d Agronin added. \u201cBasically, their focus is on resident wellness \u2013 as it should be \u2013 and Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n IN MAY 2024, the union passed a formal resolution, titled \u201cHousestaff Against Apartheid.\u201d The resolution formally declares, as a matter of CIR organizational doctrine, that Israel maintains \u201can apartheid occupation against the Palestinian people\u201d and that Israeli actions constitute genocide under the UN definition.<\/p>\n