Public Employee Press

Local 436
Nurses launch fight against privatization

The Public Health Nurses of Local 436 are pressing a grievance against the Health Dept. for contracting out their work to private agencies.

"In addition to violating our contract, this maneuver by the city puts the health of school children at risk," said Judith Arroyo, president of United Federation of Nurses and Epidemiologists Local 436. "New Yorkers don't know what kind of care their children will be receiving with these contract nurses."

The Public Health Nurses work at several city agencies, with most of them assigned to the public school system. The local learned that the city Office of Management and Budget ordered the Health Dept to use contract nurses instead of hiring PHNs.

Local 436 members "are some of the best-trained nurses in the country," Arroyo said. To get the same level of expertise and commitment, the city would have to pay an agency $100 an hour, she said, while the PHNs make $35 an hour.

"Of course, they can get contract nurses cheaper from questionable agencies," Arroyo said, "but you might not want to trust your child to them."

Arroyo and Professional Division Council Rep Stephanie Miller filed the Step 3 group grievance Sept. 7 and are waiting for an arbitration hearing to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

The grievance charges the Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Office of School Health with violating Section 11 of the 2006 economic agreement by contracting out without holding a labor-management meeting with the union.