‘I Make More Babysitting’: Westchester Medical Center Doctors Demand Higher Pay

Residents Rally for Competitive Compensation as Contract Talks Continue

By Ava McGinty

Doctors from the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) held a rally outside Westchester Medical Center’s Valhalla campus on Tuesday, calling for progress in five-month-long contract negotiations.

CIR, affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, represents hundreds of resident physicians at the hospital. Members say that despite several meetings, including one earlier this month, many of their key concerns remain unaddressed and that the hospital has offered inadequate counterproposals.

At the rally, doctors claimed the hospital has canceled bargaining sessions, rejected proposals for housing stipends, and denied compensation for travel related to required off-site rotations.

Residents also pointed to lower wages compared to peers at nearby institutions, saying the pay gap makes it difficult to afford living in Westchester County and could hinder recruiting talent to the Hudson Valley’s only Level 1 trauma center.

“A first-year resident at Westchester Medical Center is paid $70,000. On a busy week, that is less than $17 per hour,” said Dr. Daniel Bassily, a resident physician. He noted that residents routinely work 60 to 80 hours per week.

Side Hustling out of Necessity

For many young doctors training at Westchester Medical Center, the long hours and high-pressure environment aren’t the only challenges they face. Despite holding medical degrees and shouldering critical responsibilities, some say their pay is so low they’re being forced to take on side gigs just to get by.

“I know personally, I am living off credit, and I started babysitting to pay rent,” said Dr. Gabrielle Weinberg, a resident physician and bargaining team member. “I actually make more as a babysitter than I do as a resident physician.”

Residents described Westchester Medical Center as a regional lifeline, treating patients experiencing homelessness, as well as those from New York City and surrounding suburbs. It is the go-to facility in the Hudson Valley for acute medical needs.

But they say hospital leadership isn’t offering adequate support to doctors at the core of that care. Weinberg said a colleague is considering dog walking to make ends meet, while others rely on credit cards to cover basic expenses.

“They (WMC) have not shown any signs about our well being, they are most concerned about keeping money in their pockets over our well being,” Weinberg said.

Despite their commitment to providing high-quality care, residents say the financial and emotional strain takes a toll.

“The way stress works is that your decision making capacity is impaired and your memory is impaired,” Weinberg observed. “Who would want that for their doctors?”

In response to a request for comment, the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) provided a prepared statement.

“We have had a number of productive meetings with our medical residents, most recently on May 5, and remain actively engaged in negotiations with another bargaining session scheduled for this week,” said the statement, also shared with other media. “We look forward to continuing these conversations and reaching an agreement on a new contract that reflects the respect we have for our residents and the invaluable role they play in patient care.” 

Another resident, Dr. Garrett Smith, said he currently lives in subsidized housing due to low wages.

Westchester County Legislator Emiljana Ulaj, a District 9 Democrat, was one of the local officials on hand at the rally yesterday. She stressed how the “residents here are some of the lowest paid in the region.”

“This is unacceptable for many reasons including the fact that this is a public hospital,” said Ulaj, who represents residents in the towns of Cortlandt and Ossining, as well as the Villages of Briarcliff, Buchanan, Croton, and Ossining. “As a public hospital, they should be setting the standard for how workers are treated and the benefits you get. As a public hospital, Westchester Medical Center should be setting the standard for others to aim for, not being at the bottom of the list dragging everyone else down.”

A representative for Democratic State Senator Shelley Mayer, for her part, called on hospital leadership to negotiate in earnest.

“Senator Mayer urges Westchester Medical Center leadership to return the bargaining table in good faith and finalize a contract that honors the vital contributions of these union doctors,” said Christine Fils-Aimé, who works as the Director of Constituent Services and Community Affairs for the senator.

“Fair wages, travel compensation, respect on the job. These are not luxuries, these are necessities if we want to keep talented and diverse physicians here in Westchester,” Fils-Aimé also remarked.

Yesterday activities follows a March demonstration by Summit Health employees, who, like the resident physicians at Westchester Medical Center, are advocating for better compensation and working conditions amid rising costs of living in the region.

The next bargaining session is on May 15.