Physicians at Elmhurst Hospital in NYC go on strike; first physician's strike in the city since 1990
A few days ago a strike was narrowly averted by residents at two MediSys-owned hospitals in New York City—now, just days later, residents at the Mount Sinai Health-owned Elmhurst Hospital have gone on strike and become the first physicians in the city to strike since 1990.
Like with the averted MediSys strikes, this is a matter motivated primarily by pay. Elmhurt hospital residents have an astonishing pay disparity when compared to Mount Sinai's other, eponymous hospital. Says Gothamist:
First-year residents at Elmhurst now earn $68,355, nearly $7,000 less than first-year residents at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to data provided by CIR SEIU. The pay gap is more than $11,000 for seventh-year residents. In July, Mount Sinai Hospital residents will receive a 6% pay bump, widening the disparity even further.
But it's also motivated by the refusal of Mount Sinai to come to the bargaining table at all, or to seriously bargain with residents. CIR/SEIU has filed two unfair labor practices against the group for that, and for "the health system’s unreasonable delay of bargaining for four months last fall". Residents are hoping—like their MediSys compatriots earlier this week—to win better benefits, more paid holidays, and more paternity leave on top of solving the pay disparity Elmhurst sees with other hospitals.
This strike will last five days, unless Mount Sinai agrees to the union's demands.
CIR/SEIU made a significant announcement just a few hours ago: three days of striking was sufficient for Elmhurst physicians to make their point, and Mount Sinai has capitulated accordingly. We'll have more specific details in the days to come no doubt, but preliminarily:
In addition to wage increases of 18% over three years, retroactive to November 2022, [the Elmhurst] tentative agreement includes a $2000 ratification bonus, an enforceable agreement to negotiate on hazard pay, a meal allowance that reaches parity with Mount Sinai Hospital residents, and the creation of a transportation committee. The doctors also won a chief differential pay of $3500, holiday pay and ACGME1 leave.
Strikes work!
-
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education