N.Y. Filipino RNs on strike

FAR ROCKAWAY, N.Y. — One hundred fifty frustrated Peninsula Hospital registered nurses — about 70 percent Filipinos — have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike at any time if hospital management fails to act one last time on their poor working conditions and other grievances.

Rose Marakas, grievance chair of NYSNA (New York State Nurses Association) at Peninsula and 19-year veteran at the hospital’s critical care unit, said unfinished contract negotiations and the management’s unwillingness to provide competitive improvements in the nurses’ compensation and benefits are among the issues confronting the RNs.

“We’ve been asking for fair contract, for retirement benefits, but the management would not give us anything,” says the Calauag, Quezon-born Marakas in an interview with the Filipino Reporter.

“The nurse-patient ratio at Peninsula is 1:10, but we have one of the lowest pays in the Queens area — $10,000 lower than other hospitals in Queens,” she said.

NYSNA, one of the strongest and most influential unions throughout the United States, said stressful working conditions, unsafe staffing, uncompetitive salaries, and lack of educational and management support are exhausting veteran RNs and driving new hires away shortly after orientation. This has the RNs concerned about the quality of care their patients will receive, the NYSNA said.
NYSNA said the RNs can now serve hospital president and CEO Robert Levine with a 10-day advance notice of intent to strike.

But Marakas said three more negotiation sessions scheduled for Aug. 1, 15 and 30 will be held before the nurses take drastic steps.

“Staging a strike is our last resort,” said Marakas. “We know the hospital will lose money, and we will lose money. But we cannot go on like this.”

The Peninsula Hospital nurses have no contract for over a year now. Their most recent three-year contract expired April 30, 2004.

Last April 21, the RNs already let themselves be heard outside of the hospital with a picket of more than a hundred strong, to no avail. They rallied in their uniforms — some were ending their shifts, others coming earlier to work in support of completing negotiations for a new contract.

The nurses held signs, blew on whistles, and were encouraged by the community support from drivers blowing their horns. The NYSNA said several of the hospital administrators looked on from the parking lot in amazement at this strong showing of RN unity.

“It’s important that the administration know that we’re frustrated with them dragging their feet on our contract,” said Zolita Pambid, a Peninsula RN of over 15 years, who attended the picket with her four-year-old daughter, Katrielle.

Peninsula Hospital Center is a 272-bed acute-care, teaching hospital which has been serving the communities of the Rockaways, Five Towns, Queens, and Brooklyn since 1908, and encompasses a 200-bed hospital-based, skilled nursing facility, providing the area with a full continuum of individualized care.

In addition, Peninsula Hospital Center is an affiliate of the North-Shore Long Island Jewish Health System.

This relationship brings all the resources of one of the world’s most prestigious healthcare systems to our local community, according to the hospital website.