(NEW YORK CITY) - Averting what would have been the second Physician’s Strike in New York City and the 8th Health Care Worker Strike in the country this year, Morningside and West Resident Physicians have reached a tentative agreement with their employer Mount Sinai after six months of bargaining.

Represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents-Service Employees International Union (CIR-SEIU), Residents say they are relieved and looking forward to providing care to their patients.

The five-day ULP Strike that was set to take place on Tuesday (June 13th) would have been the second strike by Mount Sinai Resident Doctors within a month’s time.

Elmhurst residents, who ended their strike on May 24th after a three-day Strike, were the first Resident Physicians to Strike in New York City in 33 years.

The strikes would have come on the heels of a historic win at arbitration for Mount Sinai Nurses, where an arbitrator held their employer liable for a $127,000 penalty after they proved a persistent pattern of understaffing. 

Dr. Aliza Grossberg said: “This fight was about demanding that Mount Sinai treat us equitably. The Elmhurst residents who went on Strike two weeks ago were fighting for the same things that we are - parity across Mount Sinai Residency Programs.  There’s no reason why Doctors doing the same job should be paid differently.  We’re thrilled to have avoided this Strike, because we want nothing more than to care for our patients.  We are inspired by the Nurses and our fellow Residents across the City and country for standing up and fighting for what’s right for Health Care Providers.”

The tentative agreement includes: 7% salary increases retro to March, 6% in 2024 and 5% guaranteed in March 2025.

The Doctors will see a bonus of $2000 and won increases in meal money, education stipends, and more.

The new contract also includes Juneteenth as a paid holiday and six weeks of protected ACGME leave during residency.

And the agreement preserves back-pay for the graduating Residents who served in the hospital during the Covid-19 Pandemic. 

While residents did not win full parity with their Non-Union colleagues, they’ve come closer than they have in previous contracts, and won their largest salary and benefits increases, including winning access to Bright Horizons and Flex Spending benefits in January of 2024, Union Officials said.

The Committee of Interns and Residents is the largest House Staff Union in the United States.

A Local of the Service Employees International Union, representing more than 30,000 Resident Physicians and Fellows. 

To Read This Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: NYC Doctors Reach a Tentative Agreement, Avoiding 5-Day ULP Strike - Committee of Interns and Residents (cirseiu.org)