Your Pediatrician May Soon Be on Strike: NYC’s Potential Doctor Strike
A strike may occur at four of the city’s hospitals.
Doctors across four New York City public hospitals have paused their upcoming strike.
The announcement came on Tuesday, after doctors at four public city hospitals threatened to pause their services on January 13th. According to Gothamist, the strike was called off after bargaining resumed between the Doctors Council SEIU and hospitals, this time with a mediator.
“Doctors Council members will do whatever it takes to win a strong contract that allows us to provide the highest quality of care to our patients,” Doctors Council president Dr. Frances Quee told the outlet in a statement.
For months, doctors have been advocating for a fair contract as they continue to serve at the city’s public hospitals. Now, City Hall and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have until January 13th to come to an agreement to prevent the pause in service.
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How the Strike Notice Began
On January 2, the Doctors Council issued a strike notice that would affect four NYC Health + Hospital Facilities: NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, North Central Bronx, South Brooklyn Health, and Queens. Physicians at these sites are employed by Mt. Sinai and Physician Affiliate Group of New York, which contract with NYC Health + Hospitals to provide physician services.
According to Gothamist, doctors are reporting feeling burnt out from understaffing and draining work conditions. They are seeking improved pay and benefits in negotiations that have dragged on since the fall of 2023. According to Spectrum News, a 2022 survey found that 62 percent of doctors say they are suffering from burnout, a rise from 40 percent in 2018.
“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. That is why I have asked all parties to return to the table with the help of a mediator to come to an agreement,” said Mayor Adams in a press release. “Our administration is committed to providing excellent and equitable health care to New Yorkers, while also ensuring all workers in our city are treated fairly and with dignity.”
New York City Health and Hospitals service over one million New Yorkers yearly, a whopping number that a strike would cause severe disruptions. While NYCH&H patients are diverse, most hospitals serve minorities and underserved communities, with 60 percent identifying as Black, Latino or Asian Pacific Islander.
In a letter, Mayor Adams pleaded with doctors to rethink their strike.
“A strike of physicians at four public safety net hospitals in three boroughs poses substantial risks to the health and safety of the city’s patients and communities. These four hospitals individually and collectively provide essential care to New Yorkers, including emergency and trauma services, inpatient and burn care, behavioral health and psychiatric treatment, and ambulatory and primary care. There is never a good time for any disruption to these and other services, and I am especially concerned about that possibility as we confront freezing temperatures and winter respiratory illnesses,” the letter read.
“I know each of the parties share my -commitment to ensuring that high-quality health care remains available to all New Yorkers, regardless of their ability to pay. We all believe in accessible health care and want what is best for our patients, medical professionals, and community members. Thus, I am formally requesting that the physicians, their employers, and their union, along with NYC Health + Hospitals, which funds the collective bargaining contracts at issue, return to the table with the assistance of a mutually agreeable mediator. I would like these discussions to take place over the next 60 days, during which I ask that our doctors continue to serve in our NYC Health + Hospitals facilities during these critical winter months.”
The strike will now be paused for at least 60 days.
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