After nearly nine months of negotiations, the University of Maryland Medical Center reached an agreement with the union representing the approximately 900 residents and fellows employed at its facilities.
The agreement, which was announced Thursday evening, gives new doctors a 20% raise over the next three years, improves the conditions of work and call rooms and creates a Labor-Management Committee to keep the line of communication open between leadership and employees.
Residents and fellows will also get four weeks of paid vacation under the contract.
“This is a historic achievement that reflects the strength, solidarity, and perseverance of our resident and fellow physicians. We all came to train at UMMC to grow as physicians and to serve the Baltimore community with the highest level of care and compassion. From day one, we have been fighting for a contract that allows us to stay focused on our patients and not on things like how we’ll afford to live in the city we work in, protect our rights as trainees, get home after a long shift, or manage mounting student loan debt,” said Dr. Lo Tamburro, University of Maryland Resident and Fellow Alliance (UMRFA) bargaining chair.
UMMC said in a statement that it is glad the organization could come to an agreement.
“Medical education and training for the next generation of clinicians is a foundational element of our mission at the University of Maryland Medical Center. We are pleased that following nearly nine months of good faith negotiations, we reached a collective bargaining agreement with the UMRFA union,” said Tiffani Washington, a spokeswoman for UMMC. “Throughout this process we have remained focused on providing high-quality and compassionate care for our patients and communities, and we appreciate the passion and innovation our residents and fellows provide to make this possible.”
UMMC residents and fellows decided to unionize last summer to advocate for better conditions.
The staff members said they were working up to 80 hours a week and are being paid wages that caused them to go into debt to live.
In May, the union petitioned UMMC CEO Dr. Bert O’Malley to step in and lead the bargaining process after members felt like the negotiations had stalled.
