Public Employee Press

DC 37 battles Laborer and laundry layoffs at HHC

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

In City Hall and state Supreme Court, District Council 37 is fighting against the Health and Hospitals Corp.'s shortsighted restructuring plan, which would lay off hundreds of employees, including 80 Brooklyn Central Laundry Workers, Laborers, Locksmiths and Supervisors and Radio Repairers.

As PEP went to press, the union was awaiting judges' decisions on two lawsuits filed against the HHC in September. The suits charge that the blue collar layoffs would violate seniority rules and may create violations of state health codes by reducing staff. The court actions held off the layoffs and kept members on HHC's payroll as the legal battles unfolded.

The union's request for an injunction banning the laundry layoffs was denied Nov. 15 on the grounds that no layoffs have actually been announced yet. The charge that privatizing BCL would violate agreements between HHC and the union is still pending in court.

In the political arena, 41 of the City Council's 51 members have now signed a letter from members Julissa Ferreras and Mathieu Eugene to HHC President Alan Aviles expressing outrage at the plan's threat to cut 4,000 jobs by 2014.

The missive has gained bipartisan support, including four of the five Republican Council members, said Political Action Associate Director Lawrence Kenchen. Borough Presidents Marty Markowitz of Brooklyn, Ruben Diaz Jr. of the Bronx, Helen Marshall of Queens and Scott M. Stringer of Manhattan and 12 Albany lawmakers have also sided with the union against the layoffs.

In a strongly worded letter dated Nov. 3, Eugene insisted that Aviles meet with the City Council and union leaders before implementing any part of the layoff plan, for which HHC paid a consultant $4 million. HHC has not responded.

Lawmakers and DC 37 leaders agree that balancing HHC's whopping $1 billion deficit on the backs of workers is the worst move the corporation could make with unemployment near 10 percent.

"Especially in the holiday season, these layoffs would have devastating consequences for our members, their families, the hospitals and their communities," said Local 924 President Kyle Simmons.

There would be no significant savings in replacing HHC Laborers with private contractors, because the Laborers are paid prevailing wages equivalent to similar private sector workers, Simmons pointed out.