Opinion ID: 758035
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The 9-to-3 Issue

Text: 19 For years, HHC had expressed dissatisfaction with a practice under which certain psychiatrists employed at Bellevue worked on-site only from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. In a memo to Dr. Trujillo dated September 30, 1994, Pamela Brier, who as Executive Director of Bellevue was an HHC employee, warned that because of a budgetary crisis, [e]ffective November 1, 1994, all full-time staff must fulfill the obligation explicitly delineated in the affiliation contract to work at least 35 hours per week. 20 NYU Medical Center convened several meetings with staff psychiatrists to discuss the 9-to-3 issue. At the September 30, 1994 meeting, Trujillo announced that because of budget problems, all psychiatrists had to work from 9:00 until 4:30 or take a cut in pay. Members of the Association's Executive Committee spoke out against the change in hours. Dr. Mahon waspishly suggested that, as a cost-cutter, clinical work be assigned to administrators such as Drs. Wallack (the Medical Director of Bellevue who was employed by HHC), Castaneda, Levy, and Varas. Dr. Kermani suggested that the psychiatrists should not be victimized but instead everyone, including Dean Scotch of the medical school and Trujillo, should take a cut in salary. Dr. Kermani's comments provoked Dean Scotch, who said that Kermani was the whole problem, that if Kermani wasn't leading the opposition, or leading the riot, ... there wouldn't be any problem. Dr. Graham commented that he thought the 9-3 schedule was protected by the provision in the affiliation contract that on-call time or preparation time be counted towards the psychiatrists' hourly obligations. 21 At the second staff meeting on the 9-3 issue, a few days later, Brier flatly stated that because of budgetary constraints, psychiatrists would no longer be allowed to work 9-to-3. Dr. Graham complained that the 9-3 doctors were being discriminated against and that the Association was going to look into the matter. Dr. Mahon said that she (and others) had been specifically hired to work the shorter hours at a commensurately reduced salary and questioned how NYU Medical Center could require increased hours or a further reduction in salary. Brier responded that the 9-3 issue was no longer negotiable. Mahon continued to try to attract Brier's attention by raising her hand; Brier said to her, You're trying to cause me trouble, aren't you? 22 At the third meeting on the 9-3 question, Trujillo made the now-familiar announcement that the psychiatrists would have to work longer hours. Dr. Mahon repeated her suggestion that the administrators pitch in and perform some clinical work. When Dr. Wallack began to address the suggestion, Dr. Trujillo hushed him and said don't even respond to her. 23 After the third meeting, Trujillo described Mahon's conduct to Portnow as disgraceful, disloyal, undesirable and predicted that it would lead to trouble for the psychiatrists. Trujillo also told Portnow following this meeting that the Association would be punished for its position on the 9-3 issue. Trujillo told another member of the Association's executive committee, Dr. Weiss, that during a budget shortfall it was not a good idea ... to have an open issue like the 9-3 issue because it makes you very visible for the chopping block. 24 After all these discussions, Dr. Geller asked Dr. Trujillo if he could continue to work his usual 7:30 to 3:00 schedule, and Trujillo said that because of his esteem for Geller, he would try to arrange it. But when Trujillo learned that Geller had repeated this conversation to Kermani, Trujillo exploded, declined to do what I promised, and responded to Geller's remonstrances: You ... people don't give a damn about the future of the department. All you care about is yourselves. 25 On March 27, 1995 (i.e., a day or two after terminating many of the physicians who vocally objected to the change in hours), NYU Medical Center issued a memorandum announcing that as of April 3, all psychiatrists would work 9:00 to 4:30 p.m. or resign.