UB Residents' Strike

Dear Members,

I will admit that I was a bit blindsided by the Resident’s strike that is occurring this week. The UAPD (the union that currently represents the “UB” residents) has only authorized two strikes in a half century of operations, and with the negotiations occurring over the long weekend we assumed that a resolution was imminent. Turns out we were wrong. The residents are on strike. Attached is their information sheet on their strike actions.

We included information in last week’s UUP Newsletter email about what we can and cannot safely do in response to the strike. Since the strike is occurring, I thought I should send out that information again. 

Note that today through Friday Sept 6th, the "UB" medical residents are planning to strike at Buffalo General, Roswell Park and Oishei (see the attached schedule). The residents are not paid through NY state accounts, so have unionized through the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD). UAPD negotiates under the National Labor Relations Act and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Our bargaining unit, UUP, represents public sector union members.  Those members negotiate under the auspices of the New York State Taylor Law and the New York State Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). The New York State laws and PERB rules prevent us from striking, but provides us many benefits when operating in the absence of an active contract.

With the UAPD on strike, if you are interested in supporting the striking physicians, you may take the following actions –

1.                       You can wear pins/buttons of support.

2.                       You may display signs of support.

3.                       You can participate in pro-UAPD Rallies – during non-work time.

4.                       You can participate in pro-UAPD picketing – during non-work time and in a manner that does not disrupt business operations.

HOWEVER, while you often hear of unions honoring other union’s picket lines, we CANNOT advise you to take such an action in this situation!  If you do, and if the failure to cross a picket line means that you are not performing your own professional obligation, you may be – and likely will be – subject to counseling and/or disciplinary action.

Should you have questions regarding the UAPD’s proposed actions and/or the Chapter’s advice related to the potential strike, please do not hesitate to contact the Chapter Officers or its Labor Relations Specialist, Nick Whitman.  Nicholas.Whitman@nysut.org

Stay tuned for further information,

T. Melendy
 

_____________________________________

Thomas Melendy, PhD, AAAS

He/Him/His 

President Buffalo HSC 

UUP Statewide Executive Board 

Director Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis & Immunology 

Associate Professor of Cancer Genetics, Genomics & Development, RPCI 

Associate Professor with tenure of Microbiology & Immunology 
      and Biochemistry, University at Buffalo 

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences 

955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY  14203 

EMAIL:  TMelendy@uupmail.org 

phone: 716-829-3789