More than 90% of resident physicians at the University at Buffalo's Jacobs School of Medicine have voted to authorize a strike. This comes after a year of contract discussions. 

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. 

The residents say reductions in health care benefits and low wages are what led to the decision to the strike vote. 

“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 health care system, yet UB continues to treat them as expendable. That ends now.”

The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences released a statement, saying in part:

"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."

The strike is expected to take place the first week of September.