More than 160 doctors at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens are on a five-day strike, citing unequal pay with their counterparts. First-year residents at Elmhurst earn nearly $7,000 less than first-year residents at Mount Sinai Hospital on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It’s the first strike by doctors in New York City since 1990. Councilmember Jen Gutiérrez, herself born at Elmhurst Hospital, spoke about the issues faced by Elmhurst physicians during a recent council meeting.

Councilmember Jen Gutiérrez: “My argument about Elmhurst Hospital, it’s an H+H hospital serving a majority-immigrant community. Chair Narcisse worked at Elmhurst Hospital” —

Dr. Mitchell Katz: “Yes, she did.”

Councilmember Jen Gutiérrez: — “serving immigrants. And Elmhurst Hospital has a very unique program in that the majority of the residents are international.”

Dr. Mitchell Katz: “Yes.”

Councilmember Jen Gutiérrez: “So, what I am trying to uplift is the blatant connection of serving immigrant communities by immigrant physicians and the level of care that they’re receiving to do their job. And we really need to ring the alarm around equity.”