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Layoffs Averted at Woodhull Hospital as Doctors Ratify
New 3-Year Contract

Doctors Council Secures 6% Wage Package and up to 10% Productivity Incentive

New York, NY: (August 17, 2004) Today, Doctors Council announced the ratification of its union contract with the Woodhull Medical Group, PC which employs 225 doctors at Woodhull Hospital and Cumberland Diagnostic and Treatment Center under its affiliate contract with the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation.  Both facilities are located in Brooklyn.

The contract, which doctors overwhelmingly ratified on Thursday, August 12th, provides a 2% increase for three successive years beginning May 1, 2004 and extending to April 30, 2007, with the first year pay increase retroactive to the ratification date of August 12, 2004.  As part of the agreement between doctors and management, a number of scheduled layoffs have been averted and a no-layoff clause was established to prevent future layoffs.

"Doctors are critical to the health of any community, but they are especially critical in the high needs neighborhoods of North Brooklyn served by Woodhull Hospital and Cumberland D&TC," said Barry Liebowitz, M.D., President of Doctors Council.  "With the restoration of doctors in key departments like mental health and the ratification of a fair contract designed to keep experienced doctors in the community and help recruit qualified new doctors, we have succeeded in placing the patient's needs first."

In addition to a 6% wage increase and a no lay-off clause, the contract contains the following benefits:

 Productivity incentives for doctors who achieve a certain threshold, which could be as much as an additional 10% salary increase in each of the three years of the contract. The contract provides a total $350,000 for all productivity bonuses each year. However, an individual doctor can receive up to a 10% productivity bonus per year.

 Parity clause that states if doctors employed by HHC receive a more favorable raise in their contract, Woodhull Medical Group will make up the difference.

 Doctors in the Department of Medicine will receive up to 15% raises in the first year of the contract in an effort to assist recruitment and retention in this department.

 Reduction in the number of weekend days that doctors must work to qualify for overtime (from 9 to 7 days).

 Significant improvement in longevity benefits by establishing a new 20-year tier.  Previously, doctors with 15 years experience received an extra $7,500 a year and now doctors with 20 years experience will receive a $9,000 annual bonus. 

 Reimbursement for Continuing Medical Education increased from $750 to $1,000 per year.

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. 

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