Contract Gains In Tough Times

New York City Doctors to Get 4% Raise on April 17th
Part of 2-Year Contract with Two 4% Increases (8.16% Increase) and Extra .25%

Doctors Council SEIU members who work for the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) or the Mayoral Agencies will receive their negotiated 4% wage increase in the Friday, April 17th paycheck.  This paycheck will also include the retroactive money owed back to the date of the raise- March 15, 2009.  This is the second of two 4% wage increases won by Doctors Council SEIU in this 2-year contract.  This excellent contract comes in difficult financial times.

Barry Liebowitz, M.D., President of Doctors Council SEIU (pictured right) stated
“Ultimately, in a contract that is designed to retain and recruit doctors to the City’s hospital system, as this contract does, it is patient care that comes out the biggest winner.”
 

This contract runs from March 15, 2008 to March 27, 2010, and includes the following gains (and no concessions):

• A 4% compounded raise for all Employees retroactive to March 15, 2008 (when our last contract expired);

• A 4% compounded raise for all Employees on March 15, 2009 (i.e. raises in the aggregate over the  life of the agreement of 8.16%); 

• On March 15, 2010, 0.25% in additional funds available that can be used for items other than salaries, such as annuity, differentials or welfare fund benefits.

This process started with our membership meeting in September.  Our members encouraged us to proceed directly to negotiations with New York City and obtain a new contract before financial conditions worsened.  We were able to move with alacrity and accomplished just that.  Our success in promptly reaching this agreement without any concession demonstrates the strength and effectiveness that followed from our unity.  We are truly stronger together.
 
The contract covers doctors employed at Kings County Hospital, Bellevue Hospital, Seaview Hospital and the Morrisania, Gouverneur, Belvis, East New York, Sydenham and Renaissance Diagnostic and Treatment Centers and various HHC facilities and clinics as well as those employed by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and other Mayoral agencies, including the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Human Resources Administration and the Police, Fire, Sanitation and Correction Departments.

---

New York Medical College Doctors Council SEIU members at Metropolitan Hospital Gain New Contract

Raise to be Paid on April 9th and Retro by April 23rd 

In mid-March, a new contract was reached and ratified covering the Doctors Council SEIU members employed by New York Medical College at Metropolitan Hospital.  This was a good victory reached after many bargaining sessions which were well attended by the doctors.  The 3-year deal is from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2011.  The wage increases are 3% each year and is retroactive back to July 1, 2008.  The July 1, 2008 3% raise is to be paid on Thursday, April 9th and retroactive money is to be paid by Thursday, April 23rd.   

Some departments such as Dentistry, Neonatology and Psychiatry gained higher wage increases in the first year – in some cases almost 17% higher.  In addition to the wage increases, Doctors Council SEIU gained increases to sessional rates that doctors are paid when they work extra – by nearly 6% in the first year and 3% for each additional year for a total of over 12 % for the period of the 3-year contract.

Doctors Council SEIU members at contract ratification meeting