Health-care union begins picketing

Richard Tedesco

Negotiations between local 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East and the North Shore-LIJ Health System and four other New York metro hospital systems have reached a stalemate as the talks approach a July 15 deadline, according to a union spokesman.

Union spokesman David Bates said Tuesday that 1199 began “informational picketing” at the hospitals last Wednesday and would “massively escalate” if no progress was made in their talks.

“We’re going to keep escalating. We haven’t exactly decided how we’re going to escalate,” he said. 

Bates said the hospitals’ management is seeking to increase employee contributions for health and pension benefits, a proposal he said union negotiators are resisting. He said union members currently contribute 28 percent of their salaries for benefits. 

“We still don’t have an agreement. We’re very far apart on core issues,” Bates said. “They want to radically alter contributions to the benefit fund. It would immediately affect the lower paid workers and would eventually destabilize the system overall.”

He said the other major sticking point in the current negotiations is the union’s desire to see non-union workers at outpatient facilities operated by the hospitals to be included in the union. Bates said some of those workers, including housekeepers, nursing assistants, and clerks are being paid $10 or $12 per hour.

“They’re paying workers substandard wages and meager benefits,” Bates said.

Approximately 14,000 workers at 11 hospitals in the North Shore-LIJ system are 1199 members, according to North Shore-LIJ spokesman Terry Lynam.

Montefiore Hospital, NYU University Hospital, New York Presbyterian Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City are also involved in the negotiations with 1199 and, with North Shore-LIJ, employ approximately 50,000 1199 members. The League of Voluntary Hospitals and Homes is representing the hospitals in the negotiations with 1199. 

The 1199 membership includes nurses, nurse aides, social workers, emergency medical services workers, techs, lab workers, pharmacy workers, dietary workers, housekeepers, and other caregivers in medical centers, hospitals, nursing homes and affiliated facilities. 

In a statement on the negotiations last Wednesday, Bruce McIver, president of the League of Voluntary Hospitals and Homes, said, “We have no intention of taking away benefits. We are committed to achieving a positive  outcome that protects health benefits for members and their families and ensures the long-term stability of New York’s not-for-profit hospitals and nursing homes.”

McIver also said benefits for 1199 worker currently include free comprehensive health, dental and optical coverage, as well as “a substantial defined-benefit pension.”

In a press release last week, the union said it was concerned that “radical changes” in health benefits could result in “massive cuts” among 55,000 lower-wage workers and future cuts for its 110,000 members.

Wage issues are “not as contentious,” Bates said, with 1199 workers’ wages rising 24 percent over the past 10 years. He said the union is seeking a three-year deal. Over the past three years of the current pact, he said union members saw a 2 percent pay increase in 2011, no increase in 2012 and a 2.5 percent increase in 2013.

Bates declined to comment on whether the health-care workers union would consider staging a job action.

Bates said the union is conducting a media campaign including radio, online, bus shelter and subway ads.

Lynam declined to comment on management concerns about possible job actions by the union. He said North Shore-LIJ had no objection to the information picketing that occurred last week.

“We’re not aware of any issues that have occurred in the informational picketing. It’s perfectly appropriate for them to be doing that,” he said.

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