Doctors Council Applauds Introduction of Earned Sick Time Act

For Immediate Release
January 22, 2013

Doctors Council SEIU is pleased that Mayor Bill de Blasio has advocated for and the City Council has introduced the Expansion of Earned Sick Time Act, a bill that would ensure half a million more working New Yorkers have access to paid sick leave and can take time off to care for themselves or a loved one.

As a union for doctors and a voice for patients, the health of New Yorkers is our top priority. That is why Doctors Council SEIU has and will continue to support common sense health policy, including this landmark legislation.

“Our members, including those who work in the City Health and Hospitals Corporation hospitals and agencies such as the Department of Health, see every day the consequences of the choices working New Yorkers have to make.  A patient or loved one who delays seeking care and enters the health care system at a later time because they are afraid to take time off or are not allowed to do so can become more acute and end up with more serious health concerns than if they had come to a doctor on time.  This higher level of sickness is bad for the patient and ends up costing the City more to treat.” stated Dr. Frank Proscia, President of Doctors Council SEIU. “As doctors, we believe our strongest mission is to be patient advocates; this legislation prioritizes that commitment to patient care. Our patients and the communities we serve should have timely access to patient care services.  This bill allows more New Yorkers to get time off for care if needed.  Our patients and communities should not have to choose between their jobs and taking time off to care for themselves or a loved one.  We strongly support this bill.”

Studies in leading cities across the United States, including San Francisco and Seattle, have shown that expanding paid sick leave to more workers prevents many low-income families from falling behind—leading to improved productivity for employers and a better experience for more customers.

Doctors Council SEIU looks forward to working with the City Council and the Administration to ensure such legislation is passed for more working New Yorkers.

 

About Doctors Council SEIU

Doctors Council SEIU, a professional organization for doctors, is the nation’s oldest and largest union of attending physicians and dentists in the United States, with members in New York City, and in states across the country. Formed in 1973, Doctors Council SEIU is a union for doctors and a voice for patients, and represents attending physicians and dentists at Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) facilities and hospitals, including doctors employed by the affiliates New York University School of Medicine, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the Physician Affiliate Group of New York (PAGNY). HHC is the largest public hospital system in the nation. Doctors Council SEIU also represents doctors in the New York City Mayoral agencies including the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) as well as doctors working at Rikers Island, the largest correctional facility in the nation. Affiliated with SEIU, Doctors Council SEIU is a national union representing doctors employed in the public and private sectors.