In uptown Manhattan on December 5, over 500 caregivers and nurses rallied for quality care at New York Presbyterian Hospital and spoke out against corporate healthcare profiteers. Protesters received a surprise visit from actor and activist, Danny Glover, and were joined by elected leaders, including Public Advocate-elect Letitia “Tish” James.

The rally was the first public action of the Campaign for Quality Care, a new partnership at Presbyterian Hospital—“Presby”—between the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and 1199SEIU. They are particularly concerned about the negative effect on patient care by the increasing “corporatization” of NY Presbyterian hospital and especially the growing influence on management of David Koch, the right-wing billionaire and funder of the Tea Party and other ultra-right groups and think tanks.

The RNs and healthcare workers have become alarmed that Presby has chosen not to listen to concerns about staffing levels and patient care issues in the hospital. Nurses and caregivers from both unions are working together to ensure that Presby continues to provide the world class healthcare that made the hospital profitable in the first place.

Danny Glover, who stopped at the rally en route to catching a plane at La Guardia airport, told the crowd, “We know who the Koch Brothers are. They underwrote the laws that excused the killer of Trayvon Martin in Florida. They underwrote the efforts of the Republican governor of Wisconsin to destroy collective bargaining rights.

“They’ve got an agenda for NY and right here is the battleground. We are fighting a righteous battle and we are all soldiers in that battle. We’re climbing Jacob's Ladder.”

A Presby EKG tech, Carla Rose, described morale among her co-workers: “We've been short-staffed for months. My co-workers feel like we're being punished. Coming to work should not be a form of punishment. When we are overworked, when one has to do the work of three, it not only affects our morale but it also affects patient care.”

"We're going to stop corporate profiteers like the Koch brothers from putting profits before patients,” said NYSNA Executive Director Jill Furillo, RN said NYSNA Executive Director Jill Furillo, RN. “NYSNA nurses and 1199 healthcare workers are who make Presby run. Unity between us just makes sense and it’s been a long time coming.”

“Presbyterian is an extremely profitable system and the top executives are making millions of dollars a year. They can easily afford to treat nurses and healthcare workers with respect and address concerns about safe staffing and quality patient care,” said 1199SEIU President George Gresham.

Gresham, who for years was himself a radiology tech at Presby, continued, “Seeing 1199 and NYSNA united here is a pleasure, and it's about time. We believe in patient care, not corporate care. Our obligation is to the Washington Heights community, not Wall Street. We say to the Koch Brothers: ‘You are not welcome in New York State, you are not welcome in NYC, and you are not welcome at NY Presbyterian.’”

"I am committed to standing with 1199 caregivers, NYSNA nurses, and the Washington Heights community to put patient care before corporate profits." said Tish James. “Right-wing, anti-union profiteers like David Koch should not be meddling with healthcare in New York City.”

Other speakers included Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer, NYS Senator Adriano Espaillat, Assembly Member Gabriela Rosa and NY City Councilmembers Robert Jackson and Ydanis Rodriguez—all of whom represent the communities served by Presby.