Members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the nation’s most powerful healthcare workers union, will be conducting informational picketing at the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center in Yonkers on Wednesday. They will be joined by other 1199SEIU members who work in the area, as well as Yonkers elected officials.



Hilda Metcalf, a Respiratory Therapist (RT) supports the picket. Her job is to assess, treat and monitor the respiratory status of the children both on and off mechanical ventilation. To Hilda, quality care, adequate staffing and a decent contract all go together.



“Getting a good contract is important to help recruit and maintain dedicated professional staff. That would help us do our jobs better. We all love our jobs and we consider the patients our children.”



The Center’s Registered Nurses and Respiratory Therapists have been trying to negotiate their first collective bargaining agreement for well over a year. At issue is adequate staffing to ensure severely ill pediatric patients will receive the medical care and social interaction they require and deserve. The caregivers are concerned that below market rate wages are forcing quality professionals to look elsewhere for jobs, in turn creating short-staffing at the Center.



Metcalf says,



“We also need a procedure for fairly dealing with workplace issues, so we can make our voices heard. A person who actually does the bedside caring can be disciplined for making their opinion known. We became 1199 members so we could have a voice at work. We’re fighting for a contract that will help us have a work environment where people want to work here and stay here. That’s what’s best for the children. It’s not like that now. A contract like other 1199 members have, can help us get there.”



Joining the nurses and respiratory therapists on the picket line will be 1199SEIU members at the Center who are in the service & maintenance baragaining unit including LPNs, nurses aides, food service and housekeeping workers, clerks, mechanics and more. They have been 1199 members for 15 years and their most recent contract expired on April 30. Bargaining hasn't started.



Picketing will take place on the caregivers’ own time and there will be no disruption of work schedules.



1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. We represent over 400,000 nurses and caregivers throughout Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Florida. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.