Public Employee Press

HHC staff battles killer cuts

With the city’s Health and Hospitals Corp. facing state funding reductions of almost $70 million on top of a projected $1 billion budget gap, members of DC 37’s Healthcare Education Activist Team are fighting to save jobs and services that are vital to the most vulnerable New Yorkers.

The HEAT activists have launched an aggressive campaign against Gov. David Paterson’s proposed 2011 budget cuts. Starting at Bellevue and Metropolitan hospitals on March 17, members set up tables and gathered signatures on “Stop the Cuts” petitions.

At Metropolitan, Local 420 Chapter Chair Ursula Joseph got hundreds of members and community residents to sign the petitions. Local 1549 Shop Steward Daniel Linares had no trouble convincing people to stop at his table and sign. “Everyone is concerned about losing their job and their health care,” said Linares. “For these people, HHC is their safety net.”

The drive also included lobbying in Albany, where HEAT leaders and HHC officials met with minority legislators and urged them to resist budget cuts that could hurt services in their communities.

The HEAT activists and others from the HHC Subcommittee of the Municipal Labor Committee plan to use telephone banks to urge state officials to permanently reauthorize HHC’s Disproportionate Share funding. The HHC/MLC unions have joined the Save Our Safety Net Coalition of faith, labor and community groups as they plan April meetings with local legislators and a tour of HHC facilities to show the lawmakers the harm that the budget cuts would do to their communities.

Members can find information on HEAT at www.dc37.net and can join the campaign to save health care budget cuts by calling 212-815-1550 for petitions and updates on rallies and meetings.