Residents, fellows at WMU School of Medicine vote to unionize, but results not certified

A majority of resident physicians and fellows at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine have voted to unionize, according to a news release from the organization on Monday.

The Resident and Fellow Alliance was certified Thursday in a 152-12 vote and is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers and AFT Michigan. It includes 260 resident physicians and fellows, according to the news release.

Resident physicians have been organizing to create the union for almost a year in the hopes of improving salary, flexibility in time off, and educational stipends, the news release said.

"Residents everywhere work hard and we deserve fair contracts which reflect the value we bring to our organizations and our communities," Jamil Khondker, a resident physician in psychiatry, said in the statement. "RFA will give us a voice in the workplace, the ability to negotiate for fair contracts and working conditions, and protection from exploitation. It's my hope that this process benefits all stakeholders, including the WMed residents and fellows, WMed as an organization, and the Kalamazoo community that we serve."

The election results still need to be certified by the National Labor Relations Board but WMed is aware that the residents voted to elect the Resident and Fellow Alliance as their union representative, Interim Dean Robert Sawyer said.

"Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed) was present when the NLRB counted the ballots for this important decision for our residents," a statement from Sawyer said. "We respect our residents’ rights to organize and bargain collectively, and we respect their decision to be represented by the Resident and Fellow Alliance."

The union cited concerns about resident and fellow burnout, overwork and mental health. Data from the American Medical Association showed that about half of the physicians in training were experiencing burnout at the time of the AMA's annual assessment in 2022. Three main factors contributing to high burnout rates during residency were sleep impairment, program recognition of the resident, and interruptions.

"Residents and fellow physicians here at WMed and across the country are at the front lines of patient care, and are far too often being exploited in the name of education and cost-cutting," Dhruv Srinivasachar, a WMed medicine-pediatrics resident, said in the news release. "We the residents and fellows of WMed, through the Resident and Fellow Alliance, have an opportunity to lead in the process of changing the system for the better for ourselves and our patients. We ask that WMed works with RFA collectively to create a model environment that prioritizes effective and just patient care, provides a safe and rich space for clinical education, and ensures the well-being of all residents and fellows."

WMed is looking forward to meeting with the union, listening to residents' proposals and bargaining in good faith once the union is certified by the NLRB, Sawyer said.

The medical school is a private, nonprofit corporation. It is a collaboration of Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo's two teaching health systems, Ascension Borgess and Bronson Healthcare. It is one of seven medical schools in Michigan, according to U.S. News and World Report.

First-year medical residents at WMed earn $60,500 and this salary increases to $67,500 over five years, according to the school's website. Residents at Wayne State University make $56,986 in the first year and $65,817 by year five, while those at Central Michigan University start at $57,000 and will make $64,500 by their fifth year. The starting salary for residents at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor is $72,275, which increases to $84,552 over five years.

AFT Michigan also represents residents at Wayne State University, who voted to unionize and were recognized by the university administration last summer. They are also organizing with residents and fellows in the Detroit Education and Research program at Detroit Medical Center hospitals.

While a majority of residents and fellows in the Detroit Education and Research program signed union cards last year, they have faced opposition from their employers since then. The Detroit Education and Research program refused to recognize the union based on the signed cards so the group petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a certification election last spring.

Detroit Education and Research then challenged the union and objected to the scope of the proposed bargaining unit. The union did not file its response to DMC's challenge correctly and attempted to withdraw its initial petition and immediately refile.

The withdrawal request was initially approved by the NLRB's regional director but the DMC objected, arguing that the union engaged in gamesmanship. DMC requested a review of the decision which was remanded to the National Labor Relations Board. In a decision released on January 19th, the NLRB affirmed the regional director's decision to allow the union to withdraw its initial petition and refile.

hmackay@detroitnews.com