The future faces of health care have hit the picket line as nearly 1,000 University at Buffalo medical residents are now on strike.
The four-day strike that began at midnight Sunday outside Buffalo General Hospital comes one day after the nation saluted its labor force.
Medical residents and part of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists who organized last year say more than a year of bad faith bargaining has led them to this point.
The group is citing unfair labor practices, reductions in health care benefits and the lowest salary in New York state compared to the University of Rochester, SUNY upstate, Albany Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh.
They also say theirs is the only program without retirement benefits in the region as well as a training stipend.
Strikers say the entities in control are hiding behind a shell company called University Medical Resident Services (UMRS).
Residents, many with families or looking to start one, say the decision to step away from their patients was bittersweet.
“We care about our patients deeply. That’s why we went into this field. That’s why we’re working 80-90 hours a week,” said Lauren Lucente, fourth-year psychiatry resident, UB. “You can’t pour from an empty cup, so we need to advocate for ourselves as we do for our patients and give them our best.”
“There’s a lot of anxiety,” said Dr. Matt Burwinkel, second-year resident, UB. “A lot of people were on the fence about striking. We don’t want patient care to be in any way jeopardized ... none of us really want to be here. To be honest, we want to be back in the hospital working.”
UMRS released a statement, saying in part:
"Despite UMRS' best efforts to reach an agreement, including providing the union (UAPD) with a salary proposal that is virtually the same as the union’s proposal, the union has decided to move forward with the strike. This disappointing news from the union comes after a September 1 bargaining session in which the union made a last-minute demand, little more than 24 hours prior to the strike, for an additional $15 million in salary increases over three years. It is pretty apparent that, by doing this, the union is not interested in settling this contract negotiation any time soon.
"Their counterproposal is not fiscally responsible for UMRS or the hospital training sites. It also fails to consider the critical role our local hospitals play in serving patients in our community. Additionally, it does not fully consider the tremendous value of the educational and training benefits provided to the residents by our hospitals and UB’s Office of Graduate Medical Education, which ensure residents and trainees develop the foundational clinical skills and knowledge required to successfully practice independently.
"While we are disappointed with the union's recent actions that prevented an agreement to avert a strike, UMRS will continue to bargain in good faith with the hope that an agreement will soon be reached.”
Kaleida Health and Erie County Medical Center also issued a joint statement regarding the strike:
"Kaleida Health and ECMC are not party to the negotiations and the residents and fellows are not our employees. That said, we are aware of the strike authorization, and we are monitoring the situation closely. We have taken steps at our various training sites to minimize any potential impact to daily operations. We will continue to meet our responsibility to take care of our patients - first and foremost - because that is the commitment we make to our community every day."
The VA Western New York Healthcare System (VAWNYHS) released a statement in support of the strike:
"VA Western New York Healthcare System (VAWNYHS) fully supports our medical residents who play an important role in caring for the Veteran patients we serve each day. VAWNYHS is grateful of the collaborative working relationship we have with our medical residents, a partnership built on trust and a mutual goal of providing world class, patient-centric care for Veterans and their beneficiaries, and active-duty members. We are prepared to manage any staff deficiencies should they arise."
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center says they have a coverage plan in place for patient care during the work stoppage.
"Roswell Park has a coverage plan in place to ensure that high-quality patient care will continue uninterrupted during the work stoppage affecting a small proportion of our physician team. We recognize the valuable contributions of residents and fellows in providing care for our patients across our region and, at Roswell Park, to the advancement of cancer science benefitting patients and families globally. The dedicated professionals we help train bring added energy and innovation to our programs, and our patients deeply appreciate the care they receive from these physicians. We look forward to a swift and successful resolution."
The university's School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences said it is disappointed a deal was not reached, but it is encouraged that residents were offered a salary that would more closely align with their peers at other upstate hospitals.
From here, picketers return to Buffalo General Hospital on Wednesday, as well as Roswell Park on Thursday and Oishei Children’s Hospital on Friday.
