BUFFALO, N.Y. — Resident physicians at the University at Buffalo have officially authorized a strike after what they say has been a year of bad-faith bargaining and more.
Thursday at Buffalo General Medical Center, residents gathered to announce the authorization of their strike, which is set to happen on Tuesday, Sept.3, and Wednesday, Sept. 4.
The strike will have 830 UB medical residents and fellows on strike across Western New York.
According to a press release from the Union of American Physicians & Dentists "The UB medical residents remain the lowest paid in New York State, the only residents without retirement benefits in the region, the only residents without a training stipend in the region, and now, have the poorest healthcare policy in the region. In May 2023, the UB residents and fellows elected to unionize with the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) to address their poor pay, benefits, and working conditions."
“We will not be bullied anymore. We are taking a stand for ourselves and for our patients,” said Dr. Armin Tadayyon, a fourth-year anesthesiology resident and member of the union’s bargaining team.
Residents receive their paycheck from University Medical Resident Services, Inc. (UMRS), which is a shell company. Because UMRS receives funding from area hospitals such as Kaleida Health and Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) to meet the payroll of the residents, the shell company claims it needs approval from Kaleida Health, ECMC, or UB to improve resident wages, benefits, and work conditions. Kaleida Health, ECMC, and UB have all met with the shell company, but have refused to meet with the residents to address concerns.
The residents’ frustration peaked after multiple unfair labor practices charges were filed against the shell company employer, UMRS. Those charges include:
- Bargaining in bad faith
- Discriminating against/bullying residents for their union participation (violations of Sections 8(a)(1) and (a)(3) of the National Labor Relations Act)
- Unilaterally degrading healthcare benefits of residents and fellows during the bargaining process
“We have dedicated our lives to healing people, yet UB refuses to provide us with the salary or benefits to afford medical care from the very hospitals in which we work,” said Dr. Joanne Adams, a pediatrician in her first year of residency. “This is extremely dangerous—especially for the Buffalo community.”
“It has become clear that UB has no intention of treating these essential frontline providers with the respect they deserve,” said UAPD President, Dr. Stuart Bussey. “Resident physicians are the backbone of Buffalo’s healthcare system, yet UB continues to treat them as expendable. That ends now.”
Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera said, “When a loved one must enter a hospital, we expect that our doctors can provide care that meets a standard of excellence. Far too often, the current system makes that standard of care near impossible. Our region’s medical residents are the lowest paid in New York State, do not receive retirement or childcare benefits, and take salaries that come out to below minimum wage despite potentially working 80-hour weeks. The current system doesn’t work for patients, it doesn’t work for medical residents, and it doesn’t work for Buffalo. I stand with the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) as they fight for better conditions and call on University Medical Resident Services to sign a fair contract.”
In a statement, the law firm representing UMRS says “As the party identified by the National Labor Relations Board as the employer and negotiator of record, University Medical Resident Services, P.C. (UMRS) has been meeting regularly over the past year with the union representing the medical residents. Last week, UMRS provided the medical residents’ union with a proposal in good faith that would increase residents’ pay and improve working conditions. UMRS is awaiting an official response from the medical residents’ union to the proposal, and are hopeful we can reach an agreement soon.”
UAPD’s sister unions in Buffalo are also standing in solidarity with the UB residents after their strike vote. “WE SUPPORT UB RESIDENTS” stickers will be worn by thousands of 1199SEIU, New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and Communications Workers of America (CWA) 1168 members throughout the month of August. Patrick Weisansal II, Vice President of CWA 1168, said, “UB residents—our coworkers—deserve the same dignity and respect that CWA members have secured through collective bargaining with Kaleida.”
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