New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday urged a union for doctors and a private health affiliate that employs them at several NYC Health + Hospitals locations to enter mediation to prevent a strike.
Physician members of Doctors Council - Service Employees International Union, the union representing thousands of New York City doctors, on Thursday said they would strike on Jan. 13 for a better contract and to protest dire staffing conditions.
The union provided a 10 day notice to NYC Health + Hospitals and its private sector affiliates, Physician Affiliate Group of New York and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, of their intention to commence unfair labor practice strikes at NYC H+H/South Brooklyn Health in Coney Island, Jacobi Medical Center, North Central Bronx Hospital and Queens Hospital Center, according to a press release.
Should the strike commence, it would represent the largest work stoppage of attending physicians in New York City history, with nearly 1,000 doctors from three boroughs taking part.
Through a letter to the union, the mayor requested that the parties do not take further action towards a strike throughout a 60-day period and that all parties select a “mutually agreeable mediator.” Adams offered the assistance of the New York City Office of Labor Relations and its commissioner, Renee Campion.
“A physicians’ strike at four public safety-net hospitals in three boroughs poses substantial risks to the health and safety of the city’s patients and our communities," he said. "That is why I have asked all parties to return to the table with the help of a mediator to come to an agreement."
More than 2,500 attending physicians across NYC H+H have been fighting for a contract since September 2023 that provides sufficient resources for the hospitals to be competitive in a highly tight medical job market. While negotiations stalled, some doctors are facing cuts to their benefits, including a reduction in sick leave by 20%, the press release said.
NYC Health + Hospitals and its affiliates are failing to offer a contract that addresses the rising costs of living, the long work hours, and the increasing stress and burnout doctor's face while hospitals struggle to recruit and retain qualified doctors, said Dr. Joplin T. Steinweiss, a primary care physician at Jacobi Medical Center, during a protest on Thursday.
"Without a fair contract, our communities will continue to face a critical shortage of doctors, and patients will ultimately bear the brunt of the system's failure," she said.
