Union Calls on Medical Center to Open its Books

Union representatives are accusing Westchester Medical Center officials of refusing to disclose financial records and negotiate in good faith during a press conference Friday.

About a dozen members from the Civil Service Employees Association gathered across the street from the medical center, located in Valhalla, and accused the hospital’s administration and governing board of concealing hospital finances. The CSEA represents a little more than 1,600 hospital employees, including surgical assistants, clerical staff and maintenance workers.

This comes at a time when the hospital is reaching out to its employees and asking for more concessions.

Michael D. Israel, the hospital’s president and chief operating officer, sent out an e-mail to employees stating the facility has experienced a $90 million reduction in reimbursements for the care it provides. The e-mail also said that non-unit hospital employees are now required to pay higher contributions to  their health benefits and asks union workers to consider making a similar compromise.

John Staino, the president of CSEA Westchester County Local 860, said the hospital has ignored numerous requests from the union to see administrator salaries and other financial data. Staino said it is unfair for medical center officials to ask for give backs from its employees without giving a clearer picture of the hospital’s financial health.

The union has another year left on its contract, according to Staino.

“They’re crying poverty, cutting services and outsourcing, but we haven’t been able to get a full look at their finances,” Staino said, while referencing the $1.24 million Israel made in 2009. “Here they are, making bonuses and they are still a public benefit corporation.”

Staino said some of the hospital’s recent layoffs and cuts have resulted in hospital services declining.

“The bottom line with the cuts that they threaten, is that they are starting to impact the quality of care that employees are able to give,” Staino said. “They cut the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program this summer. That’s a little under 50 CSEA members that lost their jobs. It was a mobile crisis unit that went out with police officers. That program actually helped prevent a lot of emergency personnel from being injured.”

David Bilig, a spokesman for the hospital, released the following statement in response to the union’s claims:

“The financial crisis affecting our nation has triggered significant cutbacks at hospitals and other organizations. Across the state, employers and their unions are wrestling with difficult cost constraints. At WMC, we pay competitive salaries to all of our staff from front line staff to management and believe that each and every employee provides a valuable service.  We invite the CSEA to work collaboratively with us, as their colleagues have with Gov. Cuomo, on developing viable solutions to the economic pressures that are beyond our control but to which we must respond.”