As critical frontline caregivers, 1199SEIU Florida nurses have joined our union’s demands that Steward Health Care provide answers and ensure protections to the community and caregivers after the company recently filed for bankruptcy.

Steward’s financial issues have potentially devastating impacts on the neighborhoods served by North Shore Medical Center in Miami, Palmetto General Hospital in Hialeah and Florida Medical Center in Lauderdale Lakes, as well as the approximately 2,000 1199SEIU bargaining unit workers in those facilities. 

Cuts to these hospitals would especially hurt Black, Latino and low-income women and children in surrounding neighborhoods who already have limited access to care. Current employees feel their jobs are at risk, too. Due to massive decreases in patients and the lack of payment to vendors, employees are already being cancelled from working their scheduled shifts and/or the services they provide are being cancelled or sent elsewhere.

North Shore Medical Center has already closed the Women’s Services Department and Psych Department, and has laid off more than 150 caregivers in Labor & Delivery, Obstetrics, Neonatal Intensive Care and Psych units, substantially impacting care in the community.

Leaders and members of 1199SEIU have met with Steward management to raise concerns, demanding the corporation be transparent about the future of Steward hospitals in Florida, how care will be provided to the community, that union contracts will be honored and jobs protected.

“Our union contract provides us many strong employment protections others don’t have, but it still is a very concerning situation,” said Alexandra Sosa, RN in the North Shore Intensive Care Unit.  “Nurses are caregivers and nurturers by nature and we’re dedicated to caring for our patients, co-workers and communities. We need to have Steward honor its commitments to all of us, as well.”