Doctors Council/Service Employees International Union

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: Thursday, January 2, 2025

Media Contacts:

Steph Derstine, steph.derstine@berlinrosen.com, 512-820-7903

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Doctors Council Members at Four NYC Health + Hospitals Announce January Strike Amid Ongoing Understaffing Crisis

New York, NY — Physician members of Doctors Council - Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the union representing thousands of frontline doctors across New York City, have provided a 10 day notice to NYC Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H) and its private sector affiliates, PAGNY (Physician Affiliate Group of New York) and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, of their intention to commence unfair labor practice strikes at Jacobi Medical Center, North Central Bronx Hospital (NCB), Queens Hospital Center, and South Brooklyn Health on Monday, January 13. This historic strike action comes amid a dire understaffing crisis threatening patient care, and would represent the largest work stoppage of attending physicians in New York City history, with nearly 1000 doctors across three boroughs taking part.

More than 2500 attending physicians across NYC H+H, who provide vital care to New York City’s most vulnerable populations, 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. Additionally, while negotiations have stalled, some doctors are facing employer cuts to their benefits, including a reduction in sick leave by 20%, that threaten their own health and well-being.

"We are on the front lines of healthcare every day, working tirelessly to provide the best possible care to our communities," said Dr. Joplin T. Steinweiss, a primary care physician at Jacobi. "But H+H and its affiliates are failing to offer a contract that addresses the rising costs of living, the long hours we work, and the increasing stress and burnout we face as our hospitals struggle to recruit and retain qualified doctors. 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."

The strike will affect four key facilities, all of which are central to serving New York’s diverse and underserved communities. Jacobi, NCB, Queens Hospital Center and South Brooklyn Health are already struggling to manage patient volume and ensure high-quality care in the face of staffing shortages and burnout among doctors. For example, Jacobi and NCB have been unable to recruit any rheumatologists since 2023 when the entire division resigned, delaying referral appointments or follow-up for patients with critical needs.

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Several unfair labor practices (ULP) filed by the union are pending with the National Labor Relations Board. These ULPs include refusal to bargain over key areas of compensation, and an unlawful premature declaration of impasse and unilateral implementation of an offer the vast majority of Doctors Council bargaining committee members found unacceptable.

"We do not take the decision to strike lightly," said Frances Quee, a pediatrician at H+H Gotham Health, Blevis and President of Doctors Council SEIU." But we have been negotiating in good-faith for over a year to reach an agreement that addresses the crisis of dedicated doctors leaving our hospitals, but it’s clear our employers are not prioritizing the long-term health of these hospitals or our communities. Our patients deserve the highest quality care, and we need a contract that supports the doctors who are integral in providing it."

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Today’s announcement builds on the growing momentum of interns, residents, and attending physicians uniting across New York City to fight for solutions to ongoing recruitment and retention crises directly undermining patient care throughout the city. Just last month, resident physicians who’ve been fighting over 16 months for a strong first contract with Montefiore Medical Center’s Moses campus rallied outside of the Bronx hospital to call out the hospital’s management for failing to reach an agreement that would alleviate their struggle to make ends meet and ensure they’re able to focus on improving patient care. Elsewhere, doctors are raising demands for even stronger agreements that would provide adequate staffing and protections for patients.

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Doctors Council members remain committed to negotiating in good faith and urge the employers to come to the bargaining table to reach an agreement that meets the needs of both the frontline doctors and the communities they serve.

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