BUFFALO, N.Y. — About 830 residents and fellows at the University at Buffalo's Jacobs School of Medicine are set to strike in September if ongoing negotiations do not end in a deal by Sept. 1.

One resident, Dr. Steven Moran, said the pay does not reflect the work he and his fellow residents put in every day.

“We work really hard and our compensation is not to the amount of hours we work. Sometimes we work 60 to 80 hours a week, 80 maximum. It’s a long time to be working for money that just doesn’t make ends meet anymore," said Dr. Moran.

The residents are represented by the Union of American Physicians and Dentists, which said these physicians are paid the least for their work when compared to others in the state. They said the union members do not have a retirement package and their health care does not afford for them to seek treatment at the hospitals they work in.

Union leaders said they are negotiating with a shell company called University Medical Resident Services, Inc., which distributes their paychecks from organizations like Kaleida Health and Erie County Medical Center. UMRS has a Jacobs School of Medicine address and phone number, but UB said in the following statement that the school does not employ the residents.

“The Jacobs School continues to support and advocate for salary increases for medical residents and improvements to their educational and working conditions. Although neither UB nor the Jacobs School are the legal entity responsible for negotiations with the medical residents, we remain hopeful that progress will be made in the negotiations and a strike will be avoided. Medical residents play a very important role in the delivery of outstanding health care in local hospitals.  As this situation resolves, we can assure medical residents that the Jacobs School is committed to providing them with the outstanding educational opportunities, training and experiences they need to become highly skilled physicians within the health care community.  We also will continue to offer exceptional medical residency and fellowship programs that attract the most talented and humanistic medical residents nationwide to the Jacobs School and Western New York.” 

UMRS attorneys sent a statement to Spectrum News 1 that said:

"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."

The next bargaining session is scheduled for Sept. 1. If a deal is not made, residents and fellows will strike Sept. 3 and 4. This could result in longer hospital wait times, canceled appointments, and postponed elective procedures.

These resident physicians are not employees of UB or Jacobs School of Medicine. They are on the University Medical Resident Services payroll, which is a private company.