74 elected state and city representatives rallied behind the 2,500 dedicated members of the Doctors Council/SEIU as they call for fair contracts amidst ongoing negotiations.
These frontline healthcare professionals, serving in NYC Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H) facilities have demonstrated unwavering commitment and sacrifice and yet remain without a fair contract. The elected officials called on Mayor Adams to press the Office of Labor Relations, NYC H+H, and all of the affiliate practice groups to negotiate in good faith and recognize the members of the Doctors Council for their contributions and sacrifice on behalf of New York City.
“… proper funding to fill vacancies that threaten to disrupt that care we provide.”
“The Doctors Council SEIU is very concerned about the status of our negotiations as we continue with the hope of securing a contract that further supports the H+H healthcare system and provides the proper funding to fill vacancies that threaten to disrupt that care we provide. We are encouraged to have so much support from members of the NYS Senate, the NYS Assembly, and the NYC Council who understand this ongoing problem and the challenges our members face,” said Doctors Council President Dr. Frances Quee, MD.
The elected officials noted in a jointly-signed letter to Mayor Adams that the issue concerns all New Yorkers’ safety, security, health, and well-being as well. Longstanding understaffing has resulted in burnout, turnover, and an inability to adequately recruit. The inability to secure a fair contract will lead to further understaffing, making wait times for care longer, exacerbating healthcare inequity, and making care more rushed to meet the needs of an overwhelmed system.
“There is no doubt that we would have been unable to manage the COVID-19 epidemic were it not for our doctors. We are calling on Mayor Adams to support these workers and the well-being of our communities. As the representative of a community that was the epicenter of the epicenter of the pandemic, I know how vital the work of these essential workers is. Now it’s time to put our money where our mouth is and treat them with the respect they deserve so they can get to the work of helping New Yorkers,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas.
“We have a moral obligation to ensure healthcare heroes receive a fair contract.”
“The 2,500 members of the Doctors Council SEIU have dedicated their lives to caring for the most vulnerable New Yorkers. They carried this city through the darkest hours of the pandemic, risking their lives daily to deliver care. We have a moral obligation to ensure healthcare heroes receive a fair contract. The failure to secure a fair contract will not only hurt our healthcare professionals, but it will be detrimental to every single New Yorker seeking medical care. As the Chair of the Civil Service and Labor Committee, I have dedicated my Council tenure to advocating on behalf of the city’s workforce. The Doctor’s Council has my support, and I firmly call on the administration to ensure that all stakeholders in the bargaining process negotiate in good faith,” said Council Member Carmen De La Rosa.
Photo credit: uptowns Carmen De La Rosa.
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