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Doctors Receive 10% Salary Increase and $1,000 Lump Sum in New 3-Year City Contract

New York, NY: On December 8th, Doctors Council ratified a new contract with the City of New York on behalf of its approximately 1,250 doctors who are employed by HHC and numerous mayoral agencies.  The 3-year productivity-based contract includes:

 $1,000 lump sum payment for full-time doctors and a pro-rated payment for part-time doctors upon ratification.
 3% salary increase for full and part-time doctors retroactive to July 1, 2003.
 1% salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2004.
 On February 1, 2005, full and part time HHC doctors and full and part- time doctors at various mayoral agencies will receive a productivity increase of 5.79% and 6.20% respectively.  These increases are funded by an agreement that doctors will add a half hour to each workday.   
 The contract expires on June 30, 2005.

"We've reached a very good contract within the parameters of the pattern set by the DC 37 contract which also meets the unique recruitment needs of the hospitals and facilities in the New York City public health system," said Barry Liebowitz, M.D., President of Doctors Council.

1 Under the new contract, the work week for HHC doctors will be 40 hours, up from 37 and a half  hours while at the mayoral agencies, the work week will increase from 35 to 37 and a half hours, accounting for the slight difference in percentage increases between the two doctor groups.

2 Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) receive the same contract benefits as full and part-time doctors but will not be required to work the extra half hour per day and therefore will not receive the February 2005 productivity increase.  PCP's are full-time per annum doctors who work special hours carefully designed to fit each facilities' unique needs.  Also exempt from the productivity-based raise are hourly doctors.

"Realizing that young doctors face tens of thousands of dollars in medical school loans when they begin their careers at city hospitals and clinics, our House of Delegates voted unanimously to forego a 1% productivity salary increase which was part of the DC 37 contract because in part, it would have decreased starting salaries for new hires by 15%.   Instead, Doctors Council opted for a productivity increase that not only grants a fair salary boost for current doctors but protects our city's ability to recruit new doctors."

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 as well as those employed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Human Resources Agency and the Police, Fire, Sanitation, Health and Correction Departments.  Doctors Council also represents doctors at HHC affiliated facilities, but they are covered by separate affiliate contracts.

Doctors Council is the nation's oldest and largest union of attending physicians and dentists in the United States. On March 1, 1999 Doctors Council affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).  As part of the affiliation, Doctors Council partnered with the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) and formed the National Doctors Alliance to represent doctors nationwide. Doctors Council represents doctors at numerous public and private hospitals, clinics and municipal agencies.  For more information, visit www.doctorscouncil.com.

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