After months of negotiations, UMMC residents and fellows approved the union contract with double-digit salary increases and major improvements to quality of life and work conditions.
BALTIMORE – Today, University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) residents and fellows, represented by the University of Maryland Resident and Fellow Alliance (UMRFA) – an affiliate of AFT Maryland – have voted to ratify their first-ever union contract, which includes double-digit salary increases and major improvements to working conditions, benefits, and quality of life.
The contract addresses major wage discrepancies as compared to peer hospitals in the state by granting a 20% salary increase over the next 3 years, a drastic improvement compared to the average annual raise of only 2% over the last 10 years. The contract also establishes a Labor-Management Committee to maintain their seat at the table with UMMC, ensuring that residents and fellows can continue to address specific or systemic concerns of house staff.
“This is a historic achievement that reflects the strength, solidarity, and perseverance of our resident and fellow physicians. We all came to train at UMMC to grow as physicians and to serve the Baltimore community with the highest level of care and compassion. From day one, we have been fighting for a contract that allows us to stay focused on our patients and not on things like how we’ll afford to live in the city we work in, protect our rights as trainees, get home after a long shift, or manage mounting student loan debt,” said Dr. Lo Tamburro, UMRFA bargaining chair. “This contract secures the improved wages, benefits, and protections we need to sustain ourselves and better fulfill our shared mission of supporting the health of all Baltimoreans. This win is not just ours, it’s a step forward for the entire UMMC community and for the future of healthcare in our city.”
Quality of life and working conditions for residents and fellows were key issues at the bargaining table, and the new contract includes four weeks of paid vacation, reimbursement for rides home after long and tiring shifts, and higher standards for the work rooms and call rooms residents and fellows use. Additionally, the contract addresses other financial strains for doctors by tripling the education fund from $500 to $1,500 starting year 2 and reimbursing the final exam needed for M.D. or D.O. medical licensure.
“Residents and fellows at UMMC are the backbone of Baltimore's healthcare system, and this first-ever contract is a monumental leap forward in improving their working conditions and quality of life, so they can continue to deliver critical care to all Marylanders,” said AFT Maryland President Kenya Campbell. “By securing this contract, residents and fellows fought not just for themselves, but for the care of every Baltimore resident in need.”
After unionizing over one year ago and spending months at the negotiating table, the nearly one thousand residents and fellows have ratified the historic contract to deliver the wages, benefits, and protections UMMC residents and fellows deserve.
Article, Feldman Strategies, team@feldmanstrategies.com
August 7, 2025