Mount Sinai, early-career doctors avoid strike in tentative deal

Mount Sinai Morningside and West resident physicians went to work as normal Tuesday morning, after reaching an agreement with their employer to avert what would have been the second doctors strike in New York City in barely a month.

After six months of bargaining with Mount Sinai, the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIRSEIU), which represents the early-career doctors, was able to secure a tentative compromise at a Monday night meeting.

“This fight was about demanding that Mount Sinai treat us equitably,” psychiatry resident Aliza Grossberg said in a statement issued by the union. “The Elmhurst residents who went on strike two weeks ago were fighting for the same things that we are – parity across Mount Sinai residency programs.”

The terms of the agreement include a 7% salary increase, retroactive to March; a 6% bump guaranteed in 2024; and 5% in 2025. First-year, non-unionized residents at Mount Sinai Hospital make about $75,000.

The doctors will also see a bonus of $2,000, as well as increases in meal money and education stipends among other gains, according to the union. Graduating residents who worked in the hospital during the pandemic will have their back pay preserved.

The new contract also includes Juneteenth as a paid holiday and six weeks of protected leave during residency.

“We’re thrilled to have avoided this strike, because we want nothing more than to care for our patients,” Grossberg said.