Midnight Tentative Deal Averts NYC Resident Doctors Strike in Queens

Physicians win historic contract amid a wave of strike threats across NYC 

Queens, NY – Resident physicians and fellows employed by MediSys at Jamaica and Flushing hospitals reached a tentative agreement at midnight on May 15, averting what would have been the first physician’s strike in over 30 years in New York City. The nearly 300 resident physicians submitted notice for a 3-day strike on May 1. On May 7, CIR residents provided their employer with a second notice for a 2-day ULP strike, for a total of what would have been a 5-day strike beginning on Monday, April 15.

“This agreement is one that will ensure that our class and future generations of resident doctors at MediSys are protected in the event of a public health emergency, while prioritizing both the community’s health care needs and our training,” said Dr. Neha Ravi. 

Saying the system finally bargained in good faith, the physicians won virtually unheard of  patient care proposals that focused on issues such as adequate resources to limit patient loads and enforceable processes to address out-of-title work. “Residency training hasn’t changed very much in the last 100 years. Unfortunately, out-of-title work has been a reality that most residents expect in our hierarchical academic medicine environments, but it’s time for a new normal in health care. One where hospitals prioritize patients by prioritizing its workers,” said Dr. Uchenna Chinakwe. 

The deal includes 18% salary increases over 3 years—the wage pattern recently set by NYSNA nurses who went on strike earlier this year—along with wins on the physicians’ core demands on patient loads and out-of-title work. 

The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) is the largest housestaff 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.