For Immediate Release
Contact: Anna Oman, 929-637-3708, anna.oman@1199.org

As cost-of-living soars, 1199SEIU members at Middletown hospital demand a fair contract to retain staff, address patient care crisis

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – Hundreds of hospital workers and allies picketed today, calling on Garnet Health to invest in frontline workers and patient care by raising wages and benefits to relieve troubling short staffing at the hospital. The massive picket included workers from nearly every department and job classification, from techs to nurse coordinators to environmental service staff, demanding with one voice, “Contract! Now!”

After months of fruitless contract negotiations, 1199SEIU members brought their message to Garnet Health Medical Center management and the community: it’s time to end the staffing crisis that threatens patient care at the Middletown hospital. 

In 2023, for example, Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown experienced a 16% spike in emergency room wait times, clocking in at an average of 254 minutes, a whopping four-and-a-half hours and more than an hour and a half longer than the national average.*

“Without improved wages and a commitment from management to fix staffing shortages, things will only get worse at Garnet Health Medical Center,” said Shannon Collishaw, a cardiovascular tech, who works directly with heart surgeons during stint and other life-saving procedures at the hospital. “We are feeling so much pressure to maintain the quality care our patients deserve – but it’s unsustainable. It’s time management got serious about valuing all of us.”

Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther and Assemblywoman-Elect Paula Kay were on hand to show their support for picketing workers.

Congressman Pat Ryan issued the following statement: “I stand with frontline workers at Garnet Health Medical Centers. They get up every morning and dedicate themselves to saving lives and caring for our community. They deserve a fair contract that honors their hard work and professionalism.” 

Workers at Garnet Health Medical Center are leaving in droves and new recruits aren’t staying. Wages are below regional averages and not keeping up with the cost of living; workers can’t pay their bills or stay in their community. Too many Garnet Health Medical Center workers need two jobs just to make ends meet. Under the stress of short-staffing, workers in every department feel forced to leave the jobs they love—making the situation worse.

1199SEIU members are calling for solutions. Workers are negotiating a new contract with Garnet Health – now is the time to get on track to maintain and recruit staff, and improve patient care. Other Hudson Valley healthcare employers have raised wages, made health benefits affordable, and improved working conditions – and they are retaining and recruiting the workers necessary to provide the best possible quality care. 

Next week, 1199SEIU members at Garnet Health Medical Center Catskills will picket as well, showing the unity and strength of workers across the two hospitals calling for fair wages and benefits and an end to the staffing crisis at Garnet.

*Source: https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/new-york/2024/05/15/hudson-valley-hospitals-ny-long-emergency-room-wait-times/73685789007/

1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in New York and nationwide. We represent over 450,000 members throughout New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, and Washington, D.C. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.

###

Photo credit: “Photos by Catdodge Photography, courtesy of 1199SEIU”