More than 200 resident physicians at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine are headed for a strike.
That’s after members of the Resident and Fellow Alliance voted to authorize a strike at the medical school in Kalamazoo.
Members have to give 10 days’ notice before they walk out. Spokesperson Mitch Batchelder says they could give that notice within the week.
In a statement, a member of the RFA said WMed was ignoring demands.
“As residents, we work hard to deliver quality care for not only our patients but our organizations and community as a whole,” Dhruv Srinivasachar said.
“We have been ready to bargain in good faith with our employer, but our basic demands for fair salaries and respect in the workplace continue to get ignored. Nobody wants to go on strike, but we deserve real proposals that reflect the value we provide.”
According to the statement, the unions' demands include higher salaries, flexibility in time off, and improved educational stipends.
RFA is affiliated with the Michigan branch of American Federation of Teachers.
WMed issued a statement about the potential strike Friday through spokesperson Rex Hall.
"WMed has been regularly meeting with the RFA and engaging in good faith negotiations, actively participating in bargaining sessions, and presenting reasonable proposals and counterproposals," Hall wrote.
"The parties have been able to reach numerous Tentative Agreements so far and have made excellent progress on creating their first contract."
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
