Eighty-plus hour work weeks, no child care benefits or retirement plans and salaries that come out to below minimum wage are the conditions 831 University at Buffalo resident physicians say they’re working under, and they want things to change.
“These people are the first people you see when you’re entering a hospital and it’s usually at your worst moment. It’s usually to seek help for health care for yourself and your family,” said Fillmore District Councilmember Mitch Nowakowski. “It’s critical that … we fight for folks like this to be able to stay in our community.”
Their union formed last year, and six months into negotiations, the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) says they haven’t gotten anywhere.
They’re looking for movement on multiple fronts, including various benefits, meal stipends, affordable health care, safe parking conditions and clean call rooms.