Nassau County Union Protests NUMC Administration

CSEA members protested shift changes for nurses at NUMC

By Phil Spadanuta

A giant rat with crazed red eyes terrorized Hempstead Turnpike today in front of Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC), courtesy of Civil Service Employees Association Local 830 (CSEA).

The 12-foot high, air-filled rat served as the main attention grabber for the members of Nassau’s CSEA as they protested the hospital’s administration and shift changes for nurses on staff, say union officials.

“The rat is a symbol that represents the members of the Administration that are greedily taking for themselves and putting our patients and members at risk,” says Ryan Mulholland, the Public Relations Specialist of CSEA.

NUMC administrators did not think much of the union’s actions.

“The timing of the placement of the rat–the final day of a very important Joint Commission survey–speaks volumes about the union,” says Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO of the Nassau Health Care Corporation. “It says, basically, that this union works in opposition to–and in fact undermines–the success of the corporation. Fortunately, the corporation will succeed in spite of their juvenile behavior.”

“Morale [at NUMC] is as low as it’s ever been.  Their use of bully management tactics will not be tolerated by this union.  Something has to happen soon or something bad is going to happen to either a patient or the reputation of a nurse,” says Jerry Laricchiuta, President of CSEA Nassau Local 830.

The union  will continue their protest next week, between 10:00AM and 2:00PM each day.

The CSEA Local 830 represents 3,400 members at the Nassau Health Care Corporation, which is made up of Nassau University Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility and several outlying clinics.