University of Maryland Medical Center requests election for unionization of residents

The University of Maryland Medical Center filed a petition Thursday morning with the National Labor Relations Board to request a secret-ballot election for resident and fellow physicians to decide whether to unionize.

Dr. Bert O’Malley, president and CEO of the Baltimore hospitals, announced the decision to request an election — rather than voluntarily recognize the union, as a group of residents requested last month — in an email Thursday to the medical center’s residents and fellows.