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Elmhurst hospital physicians reach tentative deal after 3-day strike
By
Michelle Bocanegra
Published May 24, 2023
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By
Michelle Bocanegra
Published May 24, 2023
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More than 150 resident physicians at Elmhurst Hospital Center have reached a tentative agreement with their employer — which will soon end a three-day strike at the Queens hospital, the union announced on Wednesday.
The deal includes wage increases of 18% over a three-year period — starting retroactively from November 2022 — and an agreement to negotiate around hazard pay, the Committee of Interns and Residents, a local of the Service Employees International Union, said in a statement.
Elmhurst is a public hospital belonging to New York City’s Health + Hospitals system, but training physicians who went on strike are employed by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
The resident strike at Elmhurst was the first in over three decades.
“This fight was always about power, and Elmhurst residents are truly building that together,” a statement from Dr. Sarah Hafuth, a union leader for residents, reads in part. “I also know that we are part of a larger ongoing fight for justice in our lives and in health care — and we plan on continuing that fight.”
Elmhurst residents are expected to return to work on Thursday at 7 a.m. Once finalized, the contract will run through the end of June 2025.
Other terms of the tentative deal include a meal allowance on par with Mount Sinai residents.
Two other Queens hospitals, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Flushing Hospital Medical Center, averted a separate strike earlier this month after reaching a preliminary agreement with their employer, MediSys Health Network.
But residents at Elmhurst and management at Mount Sinai did not make enough progress on negotiations ahead of their strike date after the union authorized the move in early May. More than 100 Elmhurst residents went on strike on Monday.
“We are pleased that Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai with the support of the NYC Health + Hospitals Corporation reached a tentative agreement with CIR,” said Lucia Lee, a spokesperson for Mount Sinai, in a statement. “The proposed agreement is fair, responsible, and puts patients and resident’s educational training first.”
A spokesperson for Health + Hospitals said the city’s public hospital system was “happy to welcome” residents back.
“This tentative agreement is a win for them, our patients, and the Elmhurst community who rely on the hospital for compassionate, high-quality care,” spokesperson Chris Miller said in a statement. “We are also grateful to our colleagues from across the NYC Health + Hospitals system who assisted over the past three days and helped us provide uninterrupted services.”
Caroline Lewis contributed reporting.
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Michelle Bocanegra
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