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Doctors Council Achieve 9% Increase in 3-year Contracts for Doctors at Metropolitan Hospital, Diagnostic and Treatment Centers

Salary Minimums Increase up to 36%, Additional Gains Made in Sessional Pay and Continuing Medical Education

New York, NY: Doctors at Metropolitan Hospital in East Harlem and at two Diagnostic and Treatment Centers in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx ratified a contract in late December 2005 that provides its doctors with a 3% retroactive increase to July 1, 2005 and two additional 3% increases on July 1, 2006 and July 1, 2007.  Doctors Council negotiated the two separate but nearly identical contracts with New York Medical College, which employs the approximately 170 doctors at Metropolitan Hospital as well as the approximately 10 doctors at the Morrisania and Renaissance Health Care Network Diagnostic and Treatment Centers in the Generations/Northern Manhattan Health Network.

In addition to the 9% salary increase, the Metropolitan contract establishes new salary minimums for several departments for both incumbent doctors and new hires.  Cardiology received a 36% increase; Gastroenterology, 34%; Endocrinology, 21%; Neurology, 20%; Radiology, 20%; Thoracic Surgery, 13%; Urology, 34%. 

“While we encountered a number of bumps on a longer than expected road, after a marathon bargaining session toward the end of the year, we walked away with a good contract for our hardworking doctors at Metropolitan and the D&TCs,” said Barry Liebowitz, M.D., President of Doctors Council.  “Ultimately, it was the strength of our membership who turned out in big numbers at bargaining sessions and demonstrated an unwavering spirit, which helped Doctors Council succeed just in time for the holiday season.”

Additional contract highlights include:

• Increases in sessional pay for doctors in Anesthesiology and Radiology who work beyond the regular work schedule from the current $85 per hour to $100 per hour, a 17.6% increase.
  
• Newly established on-call payments for Anesthesiology and Surgery set at $200 for each call.
  
• New Longevity Differential for doctors with 20 or more years of service established at $5K, adding to the existing differentials for 5 years ($2K),10 years ($3K) and 15 years ($4K).  Also, doctors with 5 years of service will now receive an additional paid day off and doctors with at least 10 years of service will get an additional 2 paid days off.
  
• Continuing Medical Education reimbursement was expanded to cover professional licenses, professional association dues and professional periodicals.  Additionally, geographic location of CME can no longer be the basis for reimbursement denial.
  
• Board Certification differentials were expanded to include the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education or any of its member organizations.

Founded in 1973, Doctors Council is the nation’s oldest and largest union of attending physicians, representingmore than 3,000 doctors based largely at New York City’s municipal hospitals, clinics and agencies including most HHC facilities.It is currently among the city’s fastest growing unions, having organized doctors at 11 medical facilities in the last 5 years.In 1999, Doctors Council affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).  As part of that affiliation, Doctors Council partnered with the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) and formed the National Doctors Alliance (NDA) which represents over 17,000 doctors nationwide.

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