Ninety-three percent of voting members of the Committee of Interns and Residents have voted to authorize a strike at Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals in New York City, both members of the MediSys Health Network.
The committee represents nearly 300 physicians employed by MediSys, according to an April 26 news release. The vote to authorize a strike followed months of negotiations, during which the committee says MediSys failed to meet their demands on a livable wage, adequate benefits and patient care.
"Resident physicians desperately need more time with our patients," Neha Ravi, DO, said about the potential strike. "That's why it’s so important that MediSys seriously bargain with the union on proposals that would limit patient loads and help ensure that we spend less time on tasks that take us away from our core work, caring for patients."
Union members would still need to provide the hospitals a 10-day notice before a strike begins, despite the authorization vote. If the union decides to strike, it would be their first strike since 1990.
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