French Canadians and Jews
Interne
Strike Won as Hebrew Resigns Office Montreal
Gazette, Tuesday June 19, 1934, pp. 1, 11 The
hospital internes strike is ended - in a victory for the 75 young medicos
who walked out, regardless of emergency operations, because a Jew had been taken
as one of them at Notre Dame Hospital. It ended last night, when the internes
once more acknowledged their duty after Dr. Sam Rabinovitch, unwitting cause of
the strike, resigned from his position at the institution. They went back to work
at 7.30 p.m. Five
hospitals whose internes had walked out following Dr. Rabinovitchs nomination
were represented at a lenghty meeting of the medical board of Notre Dame hospital
yesterday afternoon, at which Dr. Rabinovitch was accepted. "The
internes have returned to work, and we have agreed to accept them", said
a brief statement by Rene Laporte, superintendant of Notre Dame hospital after
the meeting [...]. Dr.
Rabinovitch insisted that his resignation be accepted, it was stated in Mr. Laportes
explanation, although "the board protested against such action". [...] [following
the return of the internes] "Their decision apparently ended the fear which
had been expressed by authorities of several local French-Canadian hospitals,
that there would be a general walk-out on the part of the internes. To prevent
such a contingency, which might have been of life and death importance to several
of the institutions from which the internes quit, it was decided by the medical
board of the Notre Dame Hospital to meet the strikers representatives yesterday
afternoon. Despite explanations of the danger of the situation by board members,
the internes still protested, and reiterated their threats to remain out on strike,
even going to the length of stating that they would try to induce other internes
to join them. Dr.
Rabinovitch rose. and asked quietly if he might say a word. "I know the situation
is very bad and threatens to become worse," he said. "On Sunday night
I prepared a letter of resignation. I do not want to be the cause of a general
walkout on the part of men in the medical profession, and I am only one compared
with 75 other young men who wish to study it. I therefore present my resignation
on the grounds stated in my letter". (The letter had previously been handed
to the board, but had not at first been accepted) "I
hope that this is satisfactory to members of the medical board", the young
doctor added, "and I hope that my fellow internes will return to their duties
immediately." The
resignation was not accepted without protest. Members of the board declared that
Dr. Rabinovitchs services had been retained under contract, and that that
contract could not be broken. Such arguments, however, brought only further expressions
of insistence on his decision from the interne. Finally the board decided to accept
his resignation; and thereupon informed the strikers representatives that
his services would be dispensed with. The
strikers spokesmen flashed word of their "victory" to those who
had quit with them, and all 75 internes went back to their duty at once. While
they apologized to hospital authorities for their action, they claimed that to
them there was no other course open. [...] ©
1999 Claude Bélanger, Marianopolis College |