A new tentative five-year contract has been reached between WMCHealth and The Committee of Interns and Residents, which is a local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The union represents more than 40,000 resident physicians and fellows in the U.S. health care industry and has about 500 members at WMCHealth.
WMCHealth operates nine hospitals with about 1,700 beds in the Hudson Valley and has almost 3,000 attending physicians with a total of about 12,000 employees.
A spokesperson for WMCHealth told the Business Journal, “This agreement isn’t just a contract — it’s a bold investment in the future of medicine and a testament to what’s possible when mission-driven professionals come together with purpose. It delivers the stability our institution needs and sends a clear message: when we support our people, we unlock the full potential of patient care.
“We’re grateful for the principled, forward-looking dialogue that shaped this outcome — and proud to stand alongside our resident physicians as we forge ahead to drive exceptional experiences for the patients we proudly serve.”
The union said that the new five-year contract provides for an immediate 8% wage increase with additional increases of 5%, 3%, 3%, and 3%, in the four years to follow for a total of 22% in wage increases over the life of the contract.
The contract also provides for an Uber account to be paid for by WMCHealth that can be used by union workers to pay for rides to travel home when they are fatigued at the end of a shift or for coming into work.
Other features of the contract include: establishment of Juneteenth as a paid holiday with a premium paid to union members who work on the holiday; five paid days off at the end of a residency or fellowship to be used for attending conferences or for relocation; and parking reimbursement for residents or fellows who are assigned to different locations.
The union says the new contract will give its members wage equity with residents and fellows at other hospitals in the area. It adds that the agreement comes just as hundreds of new interns are starting their residencies at WMCHealth this summer.
“This new contract is a huge victory, because the truth is, we were really struggling just to pay our rent and for things like childcare with some of us even taking on second jobs to pay the bills,” said Dr. Daniel Bassily, who is union delegate at WMHealth. “I hope this shows Dr. Lubarsky (WMCHealth’s CEO Dr. David Lubarsky) that we are entering a new era at WMC, that we know our worth and that we will always fight for ourselves, our patients, and future doctors.”
The union said the tentative new contract was reached after about seven months of negotiations. Itnd alleged that WMCHealth was slow to address the concerns of union members. The union noted that during the negotiations its members took actions that included marching on the CEO to deliver a petition and rallying outside the hospital.
