community-based, non-corporate, participatory media
Aliquippa Workers Hit the Streets
by Repost by CarlD
Friday, Jan. 18, 2008 at 1:31 PM
carld717@aol.com Raccoon Twp
Class struggle around worker rights and community health care in Beaver County, Kudos to SEIU 1199! .
FRIDAY JANUARY 18, 2008
Hospital union protests firings
By Jessica Bruni,
Beaver County Times Staff
ALIQUIPPA — They want fairness. And they want it now.
So went the chant as the union representing workers at Commonwealth Medical Center, formerly Aliquippa Community Hospital, rallied at the American Serbian Club in Aliquippa Thursday to protest the mass firings by the hospital’s new owners last week.
"Their very first action was to fire the existing employees," said Chris George, administrative organizer with Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania, the union that represents the nurses and other workers. "This outrage meant we had to take action."
Commonwealth fired its non-management workers after assuming control of the troubled hospital, which has spent years in dire financial straits. Neal Bisno, SEIU secretary-treasurer, said 150 union workers lost their jobs. He estimated about half have been asked to return.
At Thursday’s rally, the crowd of roughly 70 people — including SEIU members from other facilities, such as Friendship Ridge nursing home and The Medical Center, Beaver, and labor council officials from Beaver and Allegheny counties — gathered at the Serbian Club before moving on to the hospital.
The crowd had planned to march the mile from the club to the hospital, but Aliquippa Police Chief Ralph Pallante said no, for safety reasons.
Instead, police led a parade of cars to the hospital and stood by as the group began to chant on the sidewalk outside the hospital’s entrance, a location that inspired one hospital worker to shout "You’re not going to kick us to the curb like garbage." The cry soon was picked up by the rest of the crowd.
Beaver County Commissioner Joe Spanik broke away from the pack to hand-deliver a letter also signed by fellow Commissioners Tony Amadio and Charlie Camp in support of the hospital workers. A similar letter of support also was sent by state Sen. Gerry LaValle, D-47, Rochester Township, state Rep. Sean Ramaley, D-16, Economy, and state Rep. Vince Biancucci, D-15, Center Township.
Although he asked to speak to Willie Felt, Commonwealth’s chief financial officer, Spanik said he was told Felt was in a meeting. He said county officials have asked the new owners several times to sit down to discuss the hospital’s future in the community, but were rebuffed.
"They have been very reluctant to tell us what they’re doing," he said. "They have not been cooperative at all."
Hospital officials did not return a call for comment Thursday.
Bisno said he realizes Commonwealth has a difficult path in revitalizing the hospital, which has faced bankruptcy and foreclosure in recent years. But the way to bring the hospital back to life was not by ridding it of its staff, he said.
"What they’re doing is just stupid," he said. "This hospital has had huge problems. The one chance they have is through their people."
Employees have voted to possibly strike on Jan. 30 to protest the firings. In the meantime, Spanik still is hopeful Commonwealth will sit down with county officials to discuss plans for the hospital.
"I’ll be on the phone with them again tomorrow," he promised.
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