Union Information
Westchester Square RNs picket for care at “the Square”
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On a gray Tuesday, a spirited group of nurses picketed with signs, whistles and chants Nov. 10 in front of Westchester Square Medical Center in the Bronx.
The 160 NYSNA nurses at the facility have one of the lowest pay scales in the Bronx and have been working without a contract since August. NYSNA nurses working in Bronx facilities Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center came in the afternoon to lend their support to the Westchester Square nurses.
“I was born here. I care about the place,” said Clare Hughes, grievance chairperson for the bargaining unit. “Our main issue is patient staffing. We’re way below staffing levels that are acceptable to patients.” She said that on the night shift on some floors, a nurse can be caring for 14 to 18 patients simultaneously. “We’re urging the RNs to file protest of assignment forms to document the short staffing.”
The Berger Commission put the hospital on the closure list in 2007. Subsequently, the hospital declared bankruptcy to protect itself against creditors. In the past three years, both New York Presbyterian Hospital and the Long Island Jewish system of hospitals have investigated partnering with Westchester Square.
NYSNA labor representative Elaine Charpentier said, “They say the current staffing levels are manageable. But, if you’re going to run a hospital, you have to provide an adequate level of care.”
Photos: Randi Hoffman