Harlem Hospital Doctors May Strike Over New Management, Benefits Package

Doctors at Harlem Hospital are deciding whether to go on strike, over the loss of pension and tuition benefits in their proposed contract.

The city hospitals don't hire and manage doctors -- the city outsources that job to eight different medical groups. Last spring, the city announced plans to reduce that number.

Columbia University has been the manager at Harlem Hospital, but another provider takes over next year.

The 200 doctors there have authorized a strike. They say the new manager is offering a worse pension package and is phasing out one of the biggest perks, free tuition at Columbia or half-tuition at other schools for doctors' children.

The city says the doctors are getting a comparable pension deal to what they had before but the city can’t match the Ivy League school’s tuition benefit. The doctors meet on Thursday to decide the next step.