Public Employee Press

Union fights to save hospitals

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

The statewide battle to save hospitals gained momentum in mid-May as unionists spoke out at public hearings and two state legislators introduced amendments to make the state hospital closing commission do a fairer and more thorough job.

At a City Hall news conference on May 18 state Sen. David Paterson and Assembly member Adriano Espaillat announced their proposed amendments to the law controlling Gov. George E. Pataki’s Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century. The panel is contemplating closing 20,000 of the hospital beds in the state to cut Medicaid costs.

Activists from the Save Our Safety Net Campaign charged that the commission’s criteria neglect health needs in minority, low-income and immigrant communities. SOS-C includes DC 37, other unions, and community and religious groups.

The amendments to S.6591 and A. 10186, would expand the commission, make it more representative of the state’s population, and broaden the standards it uses to designate hospital beds as “excess.”

The bills would also extend the commission’s deadline, so that instead of completing its business on Dec. 31, Gov. Pataki’s last day in office, the process would continue until February 2007.

“DC 37 strongly supports this legislation allowing for a more careful and comprehensive review, because without it we could end up with worse health care and higher costs,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts. Clerical-Administrative Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez and Municipal Hospital Employees Local 420 2nd Vice President Togba Porte were at the May 18 press conference.

In April and May, union members and health care activists spoke out at hearings held by a City Council task force. About a dozen DC 37 activists from locals with members in the municipal hospitals told of the devastating effects the proposed shutdowns would have on the lives of millions of New Yorkers.

Testifying on Staten Island May 1, Porte charged that, “Staten Islanders get the short-end of the stick. Ten years ago, 379,000 residents had four hospitals. Today, the population is 471,000, but we’re down to two full-service hospitals.”

The population of Queens County has also grown dramatically while the availability of medical services continues to decline. President Pat Bahnken of Uniformed EMTs and Paramedics Local 2507 spoke at Queens Borough Hall May 4. “With fewer hospitals, our EMTs and Paramedics will have to drive farther, and for us every second is the difference between life and death,” he said.