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Salute to Civil Service Organization Month |
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Would Ease Organizing The City Council's Civil Service and Labor Committee March 31 voted unanimously in favor of a resolution urging Congress to pass a bill that would make it easier for workers to form unions.
What Bill Does The act would create harsher penalties for employer violations of labor law when workers are engaged in organizing and contract negotiations. It would also ease unionizing by merely requiring workers to sign union cards, rather than going through a lengthy National Labor Relations Board election, which many labor leaders believe gives employers the ability to intimidate employees into voting against a union. Doctors Council President Barry Liebowitz told the committee that the passage of the act would help his union organize doctors at Jacobi Medical Center and North Central Bronx Hospital, both of which are part of the Health and Hospitals Corporation. "Over 72 percent of the 350 doctors at these hospitals have now signed on to a petition to join our union," he said. "These doctors want a say in patient care, to improve their working conditions and to have the same rights that Doctors Council union doctors have in every other HHC facility in the City of New York." The affiliated group that hires the doctors, the New York Medical Alliance, has not agreed to meet with union officials, Dr. Liebowitz said. Dr. Kathleen Ward told the Council that the biggest problem facing doctors at Jacobi was understaffing. 'Hurts Care, Supervision' "This affects patient care in two distinct ways," she said. "They are fewer attending physicians to give direct patient care. In addition, there are fewer attendings to supervise the nearly 100 medical residents who provide the majority of patient in our clinic. None of the vacancies that have occurred have been filled." Dr. Liebowitz doubted the Alliance's claim that the shortages were due to a lack of funds. "There seems to be money for lawyers, but not patient care," he said. "I think these doctors deserve to be listened to." Dr. Liebowitz added that although his union was willing to go through a secret ballot election at the two hospitals, if the EFCA was the law these locations would already be unionized provided the doctors had signed union cards. Conservancy 'Fear' Push District Council 37 Organizing Director Edgar DeJesus spoke about his union's effort to organize workers at the Central Park Conservancy. DC 37 already represents Department of Parks and Recreation workers, and it insists that the CPC workers have the same representation. "They work side by side," Mr. DeJesus said. "Unfortunately, in late January, upon learning that their employees were pursuing an association with DC 37 as their union representative, Conservancy management initiated a fear-based, anti-union campaign." He said workers were told that supporting the union was an act of disloyalty and that it would be impossible for a union to negotiate a contract with a non-profit organization. Mr. DeJesus rejected the notion that the Conservancy could not afford to offer union wages and benefits. Other Union Advocates This was the second hearing the Civil Service and Labor Committee has held on the resolution. In February, officials and organizers from the Teamsters, the AFL-CIO and the Communications Workers of America spoke about the on-the-job intimidation faced by private-sector workers trying to form a union. Committee Chairman Joseph P. Addabbo said last week that he was confident the bill, which has the support of Speaker Christine Quinn, would get the Council's full approval later this month. Both the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win coalition are pushing the EFCA, which has bipartisan support in both houses of Congress but not enough to override a veto, which the White House has threatened. |
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