Contact:
Ray Baker
Communications Director, AFT Maryland
rbaker@aftmd.org | (410) 585-7862
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
University of Maryland Residents and Fellows Alliance (UMRFA) Celebrates Union Election Victory
Click here for the full press release.
Baltimore, MD-
Following years of organizing, residents and fellows working at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) have voted to form a union, affiliating with AFT Maryland. Residents and fellows at the institution determined unionization was the best way to advocate for themselves and their patients. Members of the organizing committee are excited about the victory and the promise that unionization means for themselves and future residents and fellows.
“This is an emotional day for all of us. We have spent countless hours over the last couple of years pouring our hearts into this effort on top of our already taxing duties as residents and fellows. To see this come to fruition is incredibly special because we know this will not only be a step forward for the current residents and fellows of the hospital but also for all those to come. Furthermore, we know this will also have ramifications beyond serving to advance our interests. We will continue to seek the advancement of patient care interests as we now have a true seat at the table. We look forward to quickly coming to a contract agreement with UMMC so there is no distraction from residents and fellows doing what we do best: being an irreplaceable cog in the machinery of this hospital,” said Ari Goldstein, MD a third-year Family Medicine Resident.
“I’m so proud of all the residents and fellows I get to work alongside every day for coming together and showing out to give us this success. We have our union! It’s our first big step towards having a seat at the table with UMMC. I’m excited to see what we continue to accomplish together as we move on to the bargaining table to enhance resident and fellow wellbeing and patient care,” said Lo Tamburro, MD a second-year Pathology Resident.
This is the first unionization of residents and fellows in Maryland. The UMRFA joins the ranks of unionized residency programs in places such as the UCLA Medical Center, University of Michigan Health System, and Boston University Medical Center. AFT Maryland eagerly welcomes UMRFA into the state federation and is excited to hit the ground running supporting workers in the program. The state federation has extensive experience supporting healthcare practitioners in work through the AFT Healthcare Maryland and the Baltimore County Federation of Public Health Nurses.
AFT Maryland President Kenya Campbell said “this is an exciting result for UMRFA. The organizing committee has worked diligently over the past several years to organize their colleagues into a union that is best equipped to advocate for themselves and their patients. Our state federation is excited to work with these brilliant medical minds to deliver great outcomes for workers that will only result in a better UMMC, and most importantly better quality of care for the surrounding community that relies on residents and fellows to keep us healthy and safe.”
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