Media Advisory: Westchester Medical Center CSEA to Rally Against Cuts Nov. 21

VALHALLA, NY (11/18/2011)(readMedia)-- Fed up with a pattern of layoff and outsourcing threats that would harm patient care, members of CSEA Westchester Medical Center Unit 9201 will rally Monday, Nov. 21, 2011 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. with the theme of "Taking Back Our Community's Hospital."

CSEA members will join elected officials and nurses from the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) for the mid-day rally, which will take place in the large oval behind the main hospital building, 100 Woods Rd. Plans for the rally come after hospital CEO Michael Israel recently threatened another 350 layoffs in the hospital's main CSEA bargaining unit.

"Michael Israel has made it his mission to rid the hospital of the seasoned rank-and-file staff members who are the reason behind our world class reputation," said CSEA Westchester Medical Center Unit President Peter Piazza. "It's time we take back Westchester Medical Center as a hospital serving the needs of the entire community, not the needs of the CEO and his highly-paid pack of vice presidents."

Since taking the reins as CEO, Israel has quietly cut many of the vital services that are a unique part of WMC's mission as a public benefit corporation. One of Israel's first acts as CEO was the abrupt closure of the Taylor Care Center, the public nursing home attached to WMC that served residents with complex long-term care needs. Most recently, Israel shuttered the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), a team of professionals from WMC's Behavioral Health Center that deployed into the community with first responders to aid residents in crisis.

Members of CSEA will be available to speak with the media.

CSEA, New York's Leading Union, represents approximately 1,600 of the workers at Westchester Medical Center who have allowed the facility to earn its reputation of world class medicine.