AFGE President Urges Kellogg Lockout End

March 3, 2014
By Stephanie West

Washington, DC -- American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox Sr. Has sent a letter to Kellogg Co. President John Bryant, urging him to end a plant lockout that has kept more than 220 employees out of work since October.

Sophie Gerson Healthy Youth: A Moving Tribute

March 3, 2014
By Dr. Leonard Golubchick

On Thursday January 29, 2014 luminaries from around the tri-state area gathered to pay tribute to Sophie Gerson a noted physical educator and school board member at a cocktail reception in Henry Buhl’s loft to support the Sophie Gerson Healthy Youth Foundation.

Aquarium Cleaners Back in Swim

February 28, 2014
By Steven Wishnia

Cleaners who lost their jobs at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Connecticut, two months ago won’t have to flounder for a living any more. In a deal spawned by union and community pressure, they’re getting their jobs back—and the workers who replaced them will be joining them in Local 32BJ SEIU.

Airport Workers Tell City Hall Wages Still Low

February 28, 2014
By Marc Bussanich 

New York, NY—Port Authority’s executive director, Patrick Foye, issued a directive last month to airlines at the region’s three major airports to increase airport workers’ wages by $1 an hour. The workers told the City Council they still haven’t received the wage increase. Video

NYSNA: State Should Reject HHC’s Dialysis Privatization

February 27, 2014
By Marc Bussanich 

Bronx, NY—The president of the Health and Hospitals Corporation testified to the City Council on Monday that privatizing dialysis services would save the hospital millions of dollars. But the head of the New York State Nurses Association said the state should reject HHC’s application because it’ll negatively affect the outcome of patient care. Video

How Old Man Winter Is Socking It To The DSNY

February 27, 2014
By Joe Maniscalco
New York, NY - After spending so much time scrutinizing weather forecasts for snow this winter - the crew at Garage Number 3 in Manhattan where junior Sanitation worker Thomas Di Micelli has worked for the past seven years, likes to joke that in addition to holding degrees in “Garbology," the municipal workforce charged with the Herculean task of keeping city streets clear this season should also qualify for credentials in “Meteorology.”

32BJ SEIU: Cleaners Charge Aquarium With Fishy Behavior

February 27, 2014
By Steven Wishnia

The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Connecticut offers visitors the chance to jiggle a live jellyfish—but its former cleaners say they got stung when management ditched its longtime contractor last December and hired lower-paid nonunion staff to replace them.

LaborPress’ Health-Care Summit Thursday February 27th from 9AM-1PM “Navigating Healthcare Today; Charting A Course for Tomorrow”

February 26, 2014

This conference sponsored by LaborPress will feature more than two dozen notables and experts on health care from politics, labor, and business, including New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito; Thomas Buffenbarger, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; Mitra Behroozi, executive director of Local 1199 SEIU’s benefit and pension funds; and Richard Gottfried, chair of the New York State Assembly Health Committee.

Nurses Hold Hospital to Reopen Maternity Ward by April

February 26, 2014
By Marc Bussanich 

Bronx, NY—Councilmember Andy King stood with nurses from the New York State Nurses Association to call on North Central Bronx Hospital to make sure it reopens the maternity ward as it said it would do in November. Video

Interfaith Medical Ctr. Makes Bid For $8 Billion Pie

February 26, 2104
By Joe Maniscalco

Brooklyn, NY - A week after Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a deal intended to keep Long Island College Hospital operating as a full-service facility benefitting the community, staffers and their allies at Interfaith Medical Center in Crown Heights made their pitch for a piece of an $8 billion Medicaid waiver pie that could help resuscitate the struggling Atlantic Avenue Hospital. 

CSEA Says Budget Cuts Crippling Social Services

February 26, 2014
By Steven Wishnia

Moving convicted sexual predators into group homes in residential areas is just one example of how years of state budget cuts are slashing deep into social services, the state’s leading public-employee union says.

Public Hospital Near Privatizing Dialysis Service

February 25, 2014
By Marc Bussanich 

New York, NY—The New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council is set to vote soon on whether to allow the nation’s largest public hospital, the Health and Hospitals Corporation, to privatize its dialysis services. HHC’s president said privatization is necessary to save money, but opponents say privatization will jeopardize patients. Video

Obama Praises Minimum Wage Increase in Connecticut

February 25, 2014
By Stephanie West

Washington, DC – Governor Dannel P. Malloy attended a meeting at the White House Friday February 21st with Vice President Joseph Biden , U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, International President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Mary Kay Henry, and others to discuss state-level efforts to raise the minimum wage.

Build Up NYC Demonstrates At ‘Unsafe’ Condo Job

February 25, 2014
By Steven Wishnia

 Chanting their readiness to fight for safe jobs “Monday! Tuesday! Every day!” about 150 union construction and building workers demonstrated at the Stella Tower luxury-condo construction site in Manhattan Feb. 24, three days after a worker on the nonunion job broke his leg falling off a scaffold.