A union representing about 900 residents and fellows at the University of Maryland Medical Center is petitioning for the organization’s CEO Dr. Bert O’Malley to step in and lead the bargaining process after months of failed negotiations.
More than 500 physicians have signed on to the petition. The staff members say they are working up to 80 hours a week and are being paid wages that cause them to go into debt to live.
“Our bargaining team shared our economic proposals back in January, yet months later, UMMC’s counterproposals still lack meaningful changes to working conditions, wages, or benefits that would bring UMMC up to the standards set by other Baltimore area programs. Instead, the UMMC bargaining team continues to rely on claims of uniqueness, bureaucratic complexity, and fear of setting precedents to justify delays and resist change,” the letter states.
Dr. Andrew Gilmore, the bargaining chair for University of Maryland Resident and Fellow Alliance (UMFRA), said newly minted physicians are making hard life choices because of the working conditions.
“Our focus is distracted because we're worried about, how do I pay for rent this month? How do I pay for my children? How do I pay for childcare? Can I pay my student loans?” Gilmore said.
UMMC says it is committed to bargaining in good faith.
“Throughout this process, UMMC has regularly met with UMRFA and remains committed to working together toward a path forward that delivers on our mission to provide exceptional medical education and exceptional patient care,” Tiffani Washington, a UMMC spokeswoman said in a statement. “Our Residents and Fellows play a valuable role in the care we provide to our community, and we will continue to bargain in good faith with a goal of reaching an agreement that reinforces our values and our dedication to our mission.”
The petition comes as other health workers in the area have recently gone on strike or threatened to.
Last year, nurses at St. Agnes Ascension rallied for better staffing and in 2023 Kaiser Permanente employees threatened to strike over working conditions.
