DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts and Local 1549 President
Eddie Rodriguez led a union team that found dangerous working conditions at Coney
Island Hospital in May. They demanded action and won a plan to relocate medical
records from the hazard-filled basement by October.
The union contingent
arrived on May 29 for a labor-management meeting. Their target was the ancient
cellar where clerical workers faced a gauntlet of obstacles more than 10 times
a day to retrieve files.
Reached by descending a flight of stairs, the
dimly lit basement has a ceiling that barely reaches six feet. Pipes covered with
asbestos insulation hang even lower. There are smoke detectors, but DC 37's Safety
and Health Dept. found them faulty. Constant noise from a nearby transformer makes
it hard to hear.
"These working conditions are simply unacceptable,"
said Mr. Rodriguez, who convened the meeting with the hospital's management to
address the hazards.
Local 1549 Chapter Chair Ralph Palladino, Shop Steward
Huberta Raper, Field Services Director Barbara Ingram-Edmonds, Division Director
Ronnie Harris, Senior Safety Coordinator Lee Clarke, Safety and Health Principal
Program Coordinator Lisa Baum, and Council Rep Rene Gainer accompanied Mr. Rodriguez
and Ms. Roberts.
"We let Coney Island's management know in no uncertain
terms that this situation had to be remedied immediately," said Eddie Rodriguez.
"And having Ms. Roberts in the meeting with us and touring the workplace
showed management how serious we were," he said.
Several days later,
Coney Island Hospital management announced a plan to relocate all the medical
charts out of the basement. Work began on schedule in early June.