Fed-Up NJ Doctors Reach Tentative New Deal With Rutgers University

NEW JERSEY — The docs got their contract.

On Wednesday, the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIRSEIU) – a labor union representing more than 1,100 physicians – announced that it has reached a tentative deal with Rutgers University on a new work agreement. They have been negotiating with Rutgers for nearly a year.

The employees include “residents,” who are undergoing their foundational training after medical school, and “fellows,” who are receiving more specialized training that some doctors pursue after residency. They work at dozens of facilities across the area, including University Hospital in Newark and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

The CIR shared some details of the agreement:

“The tentative deal includes wage increases above the pattern set by other unions–as a means of addressing a structural inequity in the CIR doctors’ compensation – totaling 3.75% (6.57% for first years), 3.5%, and 3.5%, over three years, along with retro pay to July 1, 2022. The agreement also includes a $1,300 per year education stipend, meal stipend and on-call pay increases, and the formation of a taskforce to address the physicians’ mental health coverage.”

The tentative contract will still need to be ratified by the union members. A vote is currently underway and is slated to conclude Friday, spokespeople said.

According to their union, the doctors make as little as $15 per hour while working 80-hour weeks, and are calling for “a fair contract with a living wage.” They’re also demanding improvements to core benefits like transportation and mental health care, so that they can “attend to our own wellbeing as we care for our patients.” Read More: These Doctors Make $15 Per Hour – And They Want A Raise From Rutgers

Rutgers administrators have repeatedly said they were “meeting in good faith” with the CIR.

“We are hopeful that this contract can be agreed to and settled quickly and fairly,” a university spokesperson told Patch earlier this month.

But that hasn’t stopped the unionized doctors from pushing for action. Dozens of them rallied on the Rutgers campus on April 27 for a “unity break,” just weeks after three other unions at Rutgers decided to strike over separate contract demands.

• See Related: Rutgers, Teacher Unions Reach Deal After Major Strike

The union also planned to hold picket lines in Newark and New Brunswick earlier this month, but they were called off due to air quality concerns from the Canadian wildfires. Read More: Rutgers Doctors Nix Rallies Due To Wildfires; Union Push Continues

“This really shows the importance of having a union, especially since exploitation of residents and fellows has for too long been the default, as we hold together the pieces of an unjust, profit-driven health care system,” said Helen Lu, a doctor involved in the union campaign.

“Rutgers unions are proving that we are done with letting this giant university act like a corporation – that we are ready to fight for what we deserve and what New Jersey deserves,” Lu added, speaking in the wake of Wednesday’s announcement.

“These gains will help lessen our financial stress, will mean we can be more present with our loved ones, and will mean our patients are seen by better rested doctors,” agreed Stephanie Ruthberg, another physician involved in the campaign.

“But our fight continues, and we intend to hold Rutgers accountable to addressing our mental health needs, which cannot wait,” Ruthberg added.

• See Related: NJ Nurses Say They're Overworked, Demand 'Safe Staffing' Law

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