Following Historic 3-Day Strike, Queens Doctors Win Parity, End Strike
Queens, NY – The approximately 165 doctors employed by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (“Mount Sinai”) at Elmhurst Hospital have ended their unfair labor practice strike today, with the doctors saying that Mount Sinai finally bargained in good faith and made movement that was sufficient for them to reach a tentative agreement after almost a year of negotiations. In addition to wage increases of 18% over three years, retroactive to November 2022, their tentative agreement includes a $2000 ratification bonus, an enforceable agreement to negotiate on hazard pay, a meal allowance that reaches parity with Mount Sinai Hospital residents, and the creation of a transportation committee. The doctors also won a chief differential pay of $3500, holiday pay and ACGME leave. The contract will expire on June 30, 2025. Residents will return to work at 7AM on Thursday, May 25.
Represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIRSEIU), the physicians were the first residents to strike in New York in 33 years. With an increase in resident physicians organizing (around 8,000 residents and fellows have unionized since 2019), the residents at Elmhurst were the third hospital to authorize a strike in New York within a month’s time.
“This fight was always about power, and Elmhurst residents are truly building that together,” said Dr. Sarah Hafuth. “Getting a multi-billion-dollar revenue employer like Mount Sinai to move this far really shows what our movement as residents can achieve—even up against the most flagrant union busting and profit-driven corporations. Mount Sinai will now have to think twice about leaving Elmhurst behind and perpetuating these disparities for union doctors in the future. 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.”
Resident physicians rarely strike, however, last year was the first time in over three decades that strike authorization votes had been taken, with both Los Angeles County residents and Children’s Hospital Oakland residents authorizing strikes, which were averted when they reached tentative agreements. Also in California, Alameda Health System physicians just reached a groundbreaking tentative deal last week following their ULP strike notice to their employer on May 15, while the three residency programs in New York who authorized strikes this month did so almost consecutively.
Resident physicians working at Mount Sinai Morningside West, employed by the Icahn School of Medicine, have also authorized a strike vote, with 99% of voting members in favor of striking if they do not reach a deal. A date has not been set for their strike.
The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) is the largest house staff union in the United States. A local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing over 27,000 resident physicians and fellows. Our members are dedicated to improving residency training and education, advancing patient care, and expanding healthcare access for our communities.
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