UW medical residents and fellows have their first union contract

After two years of planning and negotiations, medical and dental residents and fellows at the University of Washington now have a signed three-year union contract that provides yearly wage increases, extended leave options and a transportation allowance. Early conversations of unionizing started in the summer of 2014 when some residents at the UW Medical Center wanted the opportunity to negotiate for more-competitive salaries. They joined the University of Washington Housestaff Association, an independent…