Public Employee Press

Members put the HEAT on Bush’s health cuts
Spitzer supports HHC workers

“You are responsible for providing the best health care in the world.”
— Gov. Eliot Spitzer

Gov. Eliot Spitzer arrived at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens March 16 to a packed house of enthusiastic hospital workers and union leaders. “You are the ones who are responsible for providing the best health care in the world,” said the governor as union members cheered wildly. “I’m just a lawyer.”

Assembly member Ivan C. Lafayette and City Council member Helen Sears, both from Jackson Heights, agreed wholeheartedly with Gov. Spitzer. “You’re the people who do the difficult work and get things done here,” Lafayette told the crowd as he held up a green DC 37 T-shirt in the standing-room-only auditorium.

“The members of Locals 1549, 768, and 420 have turned Elmhurst Hospital Center into a jewel of a hospital,” said Sears, referring to the hundreds of DC 37 members in those and other locals who work in the public hospital that serves a huge immigrant community from Elmhurst, Jackson Heights,Astoria and surrounding neighborhoods.

The leadership of District Council 37 was also on hand to express their support for Gov. Spitzer’s new budget. “We at DC 37 are behind you,” said DC 37 Treasurer and Local 1407 President Maf Misbah Uddin on behalf of DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts.

“Usually after every budget is delivered we have to get involved in a fight with the governor, but I’m very happy to say that on this occasion that will not happen. We support this budget, and you can count on our support,” he said.

— Alfredo Alvarado