Doctors Council-Service Employees International Union had planned to strike Jan. 13 after issuing a strike notice to NYC Health + Hospitals and its affiliates, Physicians Affiliate Group of New York and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The physicians involved are employed by NYC Health + Hospitals affiliates.
More than 2,500 attending physicians across the system have been negotiating for a contract since September 2023. Union members met with their employers and a mediator Jan. 7, which was “a step in the right direction,” union President Frances Quee, MD, said in a statement shared with Becker’s.
“Because of that step forward and to allow for additional meetings, we have agreed to push back our tentative work stoppage by one week to Jan. 21,” Dr. Quee said. “If our employers are not willing to reach an agreement that meets the needs of front-line doctors and the communities we serve, we are prepared to go on strike.”
The strikes are planned at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens and NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health.
“We value physicians who serve patients at NYC Health + Hospitals every day,” the health system said in a statement shared with Becker’s when the initial strike notice was issued. “We continue to encourage all parties involved to work together at the bargaining table to prevent a strike and ensure that quality care remains uninterrupted for our patients.”
Union members are seeking contract terms that address rising costs of living, long hours and burnout amid recruitment and retention challenges, the union has said.
Editor’s note: This story will be updated if more information becomes available.
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