Unionized doctors-in-training trying to negotiate a new contract with the Cambridge Health Alliance won support Monday from Cambridge city councillors, but only after the councillors approved an amendment calling for ensuring the “viability” of the Alliance as well as the “financial stability” of union members.
The union, the Committee of Interns and Residents SEIU, says it has been negotiating with the health care system for five months for higher pay, fewer 80-hour workweeks and restoration of previous mental health benefits. Members held a rally outside CHA Cambridge Hospital on Aug. 28 at which council vice mayor Marc McGovern, said: “The Cambridge City Council is behind you. We are with you.”
Institutions such as the Health Alliance provide training and education to residents and fellows, doctors who are getting postgraduate schooling and experience. Hospitals rely on these physicians to provide much of the care offered to patients.
The vote Monday involved an amendment of an amendment, which can happen when councillors are trying to compromise. Councillor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler proposed a policy order calling on CHA to “swiftly settle a contract that reflects the value of the residents, the patients they serve and the crucial importance of Cambridge Hospital to our community.”
The newest council member, Cathie Zusy, who took office Sept. 23 to replace Joan Pickett after her death, filed an amendment that changed the final words of the measure to highlight “the crucial importance of the financial viability of the Cambridge Health Alliance to our community” – with the term “financial viability” in bold. Zusy also wanted to have the Alliance “thoughtfully” settle the contract negotiations, not just “swiftly.”
Sobrinho-Wheeler said that after Zusy gave him a heads-up about her amendment, he “reached out to the interns and residents at CHA,” who suggested an edit to clarify that the council supported the financial stability of staff and the financial viability of the CHA system. “That was the amendment I put forward – an amendment to her amendment,” Sobrinho-Wheeler said in an email.
“Thoughtfully” also made it into the final order.
Staff faces strains
In public comment before the council acted, two union members didn’t mention the Alliance’s need for financial stability but did speak of their financial and emotional strain. “We worry about our own financial situations as the lowest-earning residents in the Boston area. If this hospital system is going to actually fulfill its mission to serve everyone, if leadership truly wants to help address health care inequality, then they must support the doctors who are at the center of patient care,” said Jamie Ye, a resident physician in psychiatry at Cambridge Hospital.
A press release for a union rally held outside City Hall on Monday also didn’t mention the amended language, saying the council had approved a resolution calling on CHA “to invest in patient care by supporting the doctors, who are unionized with the Committee of Interns and Residents.”
“We have no issue with the amendment. What we want is a fair contract with protections to ensure our well-being and safety, patient care and the continued strength of Cambridge Hospital for all of the communities who rely on us for care,” said Jesse Bossingham, a member of the negotiating team, through a union spokesperson.
Institutional financial struggles
CHA has struggled to maintain a consistent financial surplus and says a key necessity is reducing staffing costs. After the Aug. 28 union rally, spokesperson David Cecere said the Alliance “is making every effort to come to an agreement” with the union and that it has included “many benefits” in its proposals.
“We are confident that our positions are fair, support outstanding patient care and reflect respect for the tremendous contributions our resident physicians and interns provide to patient care,” Cecere said then. Asked for comment on the council order, he referred to his previous statement.
Another person who offered public comment on the union policy order Monday was Katharine Kosinski, a retired pathologist and former trustee of the Alliance. She said she supported the policy order “if amended to reflect not only the City Council’s support for the house staff of the Cambridge Health Alliance, but also the city council’s recognition of management’s obligation to safeguard the fiscal sustainability of the organization.”
A stronger
Please consider making a financial contribution to maintain, expand and improve Cambridge Day.
We are now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible.
Please consider a recurring contribution.
