Doctors at Boston Medical Center took their ongoing fight for higher wages and retirement benefits to the picket line on Thursday.
Physicians at BMC, unionized with the Committee of Interns and Residents, said they've been advocating for fair wages for the last six months. They claim negotiations with the hospital have flatlined.
During Thursday's protest, hundreds of resident physicians and fellows demanded negotiators return to the bargaining table. They are also accusing hospital leaders of prioritizing their paychecks over patient care.
Among the advocates was Natalia Forbath, a family medicine resident who has been struggling to plan for her own family.
"I'm currently in almost my third trimester of pregnancy. I'm going to work a night shift tonight. I don't feel like my hospital cares about me," Forbath told WBZ-TV. "Many of our residents can no longer afford to live here, so they're actually picking up second jobs just to be able to live in the city of Boston."
Shad Yasin worked an overnight shift in emergency medicine and headed outside to join his coworkers during the protest. He said he wants a contract that reflects the difficult hours and level of care he and other physicians at BMC provide.
BMC is New England's largest safety-net hospital, predominately serving low-income patients.
"Right now, BMC has yet to offer us a contract that is on par with inflation, and it's not even nearly on par with the wages that are being shared across the other residents among the city," Yasin said.
Physicians at the hospital said they typically are paid around $80,000 to start, adding that while that's a good wage for most cities, they also work around 80 hours a week.
"Boston Medical Center values the contributions of our residents and fellows and remains committed to reaching agreement with the CIR. Our offer provides competitive wages while supporting the long-term sustainability of the hospital and our ability to care for the community," BMC Health System said in a statement sent to WBZ-TV.
