Resident physicians have voted to ratify a new contract with UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, including a nearly 10% raise and thousands of dollars in mental health and education benefits.
Resident physicians have voted to ratify a new contract with UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, including a nearly 10% raise and thousands of dollars in mental health and education benefits.
The Committee of Interns and Residents, the labor union representing 700 UMass providers, passed the three-year contract after
reaching a tentative agreement on Oct. 28.
“A fair contract for UMass housestaff means better care for Central Massachusetts patients,” Dr. Dipavo Banerjee, UMass addiction psychiatry fellow and member of the bargaining team, said in a Tuesday press release from the union.
The new contract includes a 9.5% increase in compensation over the three years, $5,000 annually for mental health services for each household member, an increase of $500 in education allowance now covering publishing fees, and a one-time licensure exam reimbursement, according to the release.
Additionally, the agreement reinstates residents into UMass Chan’s health benefits fund, which covers expenses such as co-pay reimbursements.
Now, the ball is in UMass Chan’s court, as the next step is for university leaders to approve the new contract before it can be put in place.
“We don’t see a reason why they wouldn’t sign off on it since the members overwhelmingly voted in favor," Renée Hamel, communications coordinator for the union, said to WBJ.
At 98%, almost all voting union members voted in favor of the ratified contract. Voting was held between Nov. 4 and Monday.
If UMass Chan were to decline the ratified contract, that would lead to further conversations.
“We’d have to discuss that if it is the case,” Hamel said.
UMass Chan did not return WBJ’s request for comment.
While the union’s contract is with UMass Chan, the physician residents also work throughout the Worcester-based UMass Memorial Health system. This will be the residents’ second contract after unionizing in 2021.
“As cuts to vital health services, including Medicaid, hurt our Worcester community, investing in frontline caregivers is essential for protecting top-quality patient care. I’m proud of the work our bargaining team and housestaff did to make meaningful gains that let us focus on what matters most - our patients,” Banerjee said in the release.
The ratification comes after seven government officials representing Worcester signed a letter imploring UMass Chan and UMass Memorial Health leaders to come to a contract agreement that addresses resident struggles, including burnout and mental health concerns amplified by financial strain.
Officials who signed the letter included state senators Robyn Kennedy and Michael Moore and state representatives John Mahoney, James O’Day, Mary Keefe, Daniel Donahue, and Daniel LeBoeuf.
“It is essential that the city of Worcester retains more medical professionals after residency, and quickly reaching a collective bargaining agreement with significant wage increases and benefits will help achieve this goal,” they wrote in the letter.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
