List of Workplace Violations

UB House Staff Officers have been bullied and disrespected by Kaleida Health, ECMC, Roswell, UB Office of Graduate Medical Education, and their shell company University Medical Resident Services (UMRS) for years. Recently, UAPD has filed several unfair labor practice charges. These charges include:

- Bargaining in bad faith
- Violating the New York State Family Medical Leave Act
- Discriminating against/bullying residents for their Union participation (violations of Sections 8(a)(1) and (a)(3) of the National Labor Relations Act)
- Unilaterally degrading healthcare benefits of residents and fellows during the bargaining process

Bargaining in bad faith

On our Friday, August 9th bargaining session, UMRS formally rescinded the April 9th salary proposals and proposed reduced salaries for UB residents and fellows. In addition, they also removed their ~$600 training stipend that they made to us on April 9th.

Violating New York State Family Medical Leave Act

In multiple instances that included different house staff officers, UB and UMRS refused to provide full leave to residents and fellows, a clear violation of UB and UMRS policies. In some cases, UMRS violated the New York State Paid Family Leave law and the federal Family Medical Leave Act. Several instances included residents not being granted full parental leave for the birth of a child and another example where a resident was denied time away from training to receive chemotherapy. In all instances, program directors violated policies established to protect resident wellbeing.

Discriminating against/bullying residents for their Union participation (violations of Sections 8(a)(1) and (a)(3) of the National Labor Relations Act)

Several residents have been discriminated against and retaliated against for their union participation. One resident experienced bullying behavior from a supervisor, leading the supervisor to harass the resident to “toughen up” and filed a formal complaint against the resident for “being too soft”. Another resident was told by their program director that due to their union participation, the resident is not eligible to run for the Chief Resident position.

Unilaterally degrading healthcare benefits of residents and fellows during the bargaining process

UBGME advertised “free health insurance” to prospective residents during their interviews and on their website until July 1, 2024. However, UBGME and UMRS has not provided “free healthcare insurance” for the last 2 years and only offered a high deductible plan to new residents since July 1, 2023. They knowingly advertised “free health insurance,” hoping to attract residents, and only offered a degraded plan once residents enrolled. This illegal “Bait and Switch” tactic hurt new residents tremendously, costing upwards of $4,000 for the birth of a child. A UB resident making $14/hr cannot reasonably afford the high deductible plan.

Additionally, on July 1, 2024, UBGME and UMRS unilaterally degraded healthcare benefits again during the bargaining process, another illegal violation of the National Labor Relations Act, prompting an Unfair Labor Practice charge brought forward by UAPD.

“Make no mistake, come September 3rd, when we strike, the powers that be are going to cast blame at us; 831 physicians. They are going to say that we’re jeopardizing patient care, or that we have a moral obligation to go back to work. They are going to play on our innate sense of empathy for our patients. but let me say out loud what we all know is true; when we strike, every patient that receives inadequate treatment here, every second more a patient waits in the ER, every stress placed on our healthcare colleagues, and every family member who suffers from this work disruption is the result of corporate greed and the continued decision not to do what is right. Nothing more.”

– Dr. Steve Moran, PGY2 Internal Medicine