Montefiore Medical Center residents and fellows requested voluntary union recognition during a press conference held outside the Norwood-based hospital, one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City, on Nov. 1. The group pointed to conditions that they say were exacerbated during the pandemic and which they say continue to persist.

 

Over 1,200 residents and fellows asked for better compensation, better pay, and improved benefits like improved family leave. Many say they have been overworked and understaffed. The residents also called for yearly bonuses and more support staff. Some residents say they work 80 hours a week with no overtime, and pointed to a high number of suicide rates in the medical profession as evidence that change is needed.

 

“Montefiore can do better by their resident and fellow physicians,” said Dr. Noa Nessim, a third-year family medicine resident, at the press conference. “The last few years have brought to light how fragile the U.S. health care system is, and to form a union is our way to fortify it.” The residents received support from local Bronx elected officials such as State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), chair of the health committee and member of the mental health committee in Albany, and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81), who also serves on the health committee.

 

The press conference was held in conjunction with the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR), a branch of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the latter representing over 22,000 resident physicians and fellows in the country. The request for unionization comes after administrators announced plans to consolidate three of its Bronx health centers.

 

“So many of us chose to do our residency here because we want to work in The Bronx, and with the diverse and historically underserved community that lives here, and we know we can do more.” said Dr. Rex Tai, a second-year internal medicine resident at Montefiore Medical Center. “Our hope is that, through our union, we can advocate for the resources we need to help improve healthcare access for The Bronx,” Tai continued.

 

Like most other unions, the goal is to gain access to a seat at the table when it comes to making decisions that affect their work place environment. Many residents said they felt they didn’t have enough say over their working conditions. Over 70 percent, a supermajority, have signed authorization cards in favor of joining CIR. “In its current conditions, this work is often unnecessarily challenging to our wellness as individual people,” Nakita Mortimer, a resident at Montefiore, told reporters at the event.

 

However, to date, Montefiore has yet to recognize the group as a union, saying that the best way to determine the residents’ status is via the National Labor Review Boards secret ballot process where they would be free from any outside influence. “Our success and our reputation are grounded in the world-class training we provide and the compassionate care we extend not just to our patients, but to our residents and all who make the selfless commitment to provide care here,” said a Montefiore spokesperson in a released statement.

 

Montefiore is one of the largest employers in the entirety of New York City, and one of the biggest nonprofit medical providers in The Bronx. The group has four hospitals in the borough, along with several primary care sites and health clinics.

 

“Montefiore’s refusal to recognize our union shows they are still not listening to their frontline healthcare workers,” said Nessim in a released statement. She also said the residents will continue to do whatever it takes to establish a union.

 

The Montefiore residents are hoping to join the established community of unions that already exists in the hospital, such as nurses that are represented by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA). Over 30,000 members of NYSNA are currently involved in contract negotiations with Montefiore and other hospitals. They have supported the residents’ unionization efforts as they are dealing with a lot of the same issues.

 

“Nurses and resident physicians are responsible for providing the majority of care in Montefiore facilities, and we often confront the same issues and challenges at work, said Karine Raymond, RN, of Montefiore Weiler Hospital and NYSNA chairperson at the hospital. “Our roles are different, but our fight is one fight,” she added.

 

As reported recently by Gothamist, former cleaning staff at Montefiore Health System are filing a class-action lawsuit against the hospital network, and the staffing agency that hired them, alleging the hospital denied their overtime pay. Norwood News contacted Montefiore for comment.

 

Montefiore residents and fellows first organized with CIR, the largest house staff union in the United States in the 1970s. The CIR said more than 2,000 residents have chosen to join their committee in the past six months.  The residents of Montefiore are now one of the last, non-union residency programs in The Bronx.

 

“We’ve seen the changes our unionized colleagues have been able to make to address physician burnout, raise residency training standards and improve patient care,” said Dr. Clare Wynne, a third-year pediatrics resident at Montefiore Medical Center. “With our numbers, I know we can do the same.”