For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Contact:      Sarah Wilson: (646)369-3770
                      Mark Riley: (347)637-0621

Service and Maintenance workers demand parity with other Northwell Network employees doing the same work

Mt. Kisco- NY-Dozens of service and maintenance workers at the Northern Westchester Hospital gathered with family and supporters for an informational picket to demand a fair contract and an end to management stalling. More than 200 workers at the hospital are making substantially less than their counterparts at other Northwell Network facilities. Living expenses in Westchester County are among the highest in the State of New York, if not the nation. One of the workers who struggles to make ends meet is Edson Gregorio, nursing assistant in Northern Westchester’s operating room. “We are being ridiculously underpaid. I’ve been working here 10 years. We are just trying to get the same pay as all the other Northwell hospitals.”

Steve Kramer is Executive Vice President at 1199SEIU. His responsibilities include negotiating a contract at Northern Westchester along with his negotiating committee. “The workers here have been underpaid for decades. Some are making $2-3 dollars an hour less in their classifications than others in the system. They deserve higher pay. They do magic in order to survive in this area. This is also about quality care for the patients at Northern Westchester. The hospital has refused to move significantly enough to settle this contract. The workers here are determined to get a fair agreement, one that recognizes their hard work.”

While this informational picket is not a strike, it represents the resolve of the workers to do what they must to see this contract impasse through. While Northwell has settled contracts with other bargaining units at Northern Westchester, they consistently come up short when it comes to the service and maintenance units. This will not be the last action of unionized workers at this facility if a fair contract can’t be settled.