• Union = an organized group of coworkers advocating to improve their working conditions through contract negotiations and collective actions.

• Forming a union is the only way to negotiate a legally binding contract with hospital management that ensures housestaff have a voice in their employment.

• Workers coming together through their union have much more power negotiating with employers than if everyone were on their own.

• Unions are democratically run. Decisions are made by officers who are elected by union members.

• Our union empowers residents and fellows to fight for excellence for our patients, our training, and our healthcare system through organizing, collective bargaining, and advocacy.

• Union members elect union leaders who then meet with hospital leadership to bargain over pay, working conditions, and benefits for all housestaff.

• During these bargaining sessions, our union and UMMC leaders work to form a new contract for housestaff.

• At UMMC, we have sent out several questionnaires to the residents and fellows to get input and learn what issues are most important to you.

• Once a union contract is in place, our union leverages its power to ensure the contract is enforced and that any housestaff or systemic issues are addressed with UMMC.

• Collective bargaining = the process during which union leadership meets and negotiates with our employer about wages, benefits, working conditions, and any other issues the union deems important to them.

• Goal of bargaining = solve workplace problems by developing a contract that will be voted on by membership.

• After a first contract is approved, our union will continue to advocate for housestaff when renegotiating future contracts.

• CBA = a formal written agreement (aka contract) over wages, hours, and conditions of employment entered into by an employer and the union representing employees in the bargaining unit.

• Yes, you do! The contract formed by our union leaders and UMMC leadership doesn’t become official until it is voted on and approved by a majority of union members.

• If you are not a union member, you cannot vote for or against the contract.

• If having a say sounds good to you, learn more about membership and sign up!

Grievance = a formal complaint filed by a union member or the union itself, alleging that the employer has:

• Violated the written terms of the collective bargaining agreement (aka our contract). This is referred to as the “letter of contract.

  • This can be matters of interpretation or application.

• Violated the just cause standard—the procedures an employer must observe when disciplining or firing an employee—the union can file a grievance