CSEA Nassau Local 830 officials and its members have had a 15 foot inflatable rat out in front of NUMC since Friday, July 17. The rat symbolizes a bully management team that shows no respect for employees. 

 

CSEA is protesting the dangerous policies of Nassau University Medical Center’s administrative staff. Hundreds of CSEA members from NUMC rallied with signs and literature in front of the rat on July 24 for informational picketing. The picketing session was covered by various media outlets.

 

CSEA believes a number of acts by the Nassau Health Care Corporation’s administration are endangering the welfare of both the patients and employees of NUMC.   There are numerous instances of understaffing across the hospital in areas such as Nursing, Intensive Care Unit and Psychiatric Ward. Since June 7, nurses have been working five 8 hour shifts per week, rather than the industry standard three 12 hour shifts. Nurses are required 12 hours between shifts according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement between CSEA and the NHCC. That is being violated. 

 

CSEA Local 830 President Jerry Laricchiuta said, “Management is creating a situation where patient care could be endangered. Morale is as low as it has ever been here. Nurses aren’t getting sufficient time between shifts, and are being asked to work in areas where they may not be properly trained. That could be putting their licenses at risk.” Furthermore, CSEA believes NUMC is violating a recent law passed July 1, which makes it illegal for nurses to be mandated overtime. CSEA went to PERB (Public Employees Relations Board) on June 24 and is awaiting a ruling on the nurses shift change.

 

Laricchiuta went on to say on July 24 that, “We are out here today because we need this administration to start abiding by the law and the current collective bargaining agreement. Otherwise, patient care, as well as our members will continue to suffer.”

 

The disaccord between the union and administration goes back to March when NHCC announced 350 layoffs were on the table for January 1, 2010, once the collective bargaining agreement between the CSEA and NHCC expires. Gianelli was also quoted in Newsday on April 5 as saying “you can throw the contract out the window.”