Resident and fellow physicians at the Homer Stryker School of Medicine at Western Michigan University (WMed) have ratified their first union contract. The Resident & Fellow Alliance (RFA), AFT Local 5157, reached a tentative contract agreement with management last week after delivering a 10 day strike notice on March 21. Following ratification of the agreement by the members, RFA leaders issued the following statements:
“The bargaining team is excited to announce that our membership has ratified our union’s contract with WMed,” said Adrian Palmer, a WMed resident in Emergency Medicine. “100 percent of our members who voted decided to vote yes, which allowed us to call off the strike. We are also extremely proud that this is the first private sector resident contract in the state of Michigan. In this agreement, residents and fellows secured higher wages, a meal and cell phone stipend, increased time off, and improvements to working conditions.”
“We have worked diligently and collaboratively to ensure that our members’ hard work and invaluable contributions to exceptional patient care are properly recognized,” said Stephen Szabadi (PGY1- Psych resident). “Now, we are grateful that we can carry out our work under the banner of equity and professionalism in order to provide the best possible care for our patients.”
RFA is affiliated with AFT Michigan/AFT/AFL-CIO and is working to create a voice for residents and fellows at local hospitals, better working conditions that include higher salaries, flexibility in time off, and fair educational stipends. WMed residents and fellows voted overwhelmingly to unionize in March 2024 and had been negotiating with WMed since August 2024.
