Dinner tonight at Scotia's Jumpin' Jack's Drive-In, followed by a free Rymanowski Brothers polka concert at Freedom Park next door, where New York State Nurses Association members from Schenectady's Ellis Hospital were handing out leaflets saying the hospital is refusing to address their concerns about safe staffing levels. They suggest calling CEO James Connolly (243-4141) or board Chairperson Cristine Cioffi (377-6700 -- whom I remember some years back as a lawyer and Democratic leader of the county Legislature) to protest their anti-labor policies. State pressure a few years ago led to an Ellis takeover of the two other hospitals in Schenectady County, St. Clare's and Bellevue, and, predictably, the results have not been good for nurses.
In Albany County, meanwhile, The Newspaper Guild has won a big legal victory against The Times Union. I like this quote (in the Troy Record story) from the administrative law judge regarding a particularly preposterous management claim: "In my view, being told your position will be eliminated unless later bargaining reverses the decision, and having all normal working contact with your employer cease, is not the equivalent of a paid vacation.” Of course The Times Union is appealing, hoping to drag this out forever until everyone is dead or working for $9 per hour (which happens to my current wage in an unrelated field, in a part-time job I am happy to hold while going to school, my first since being being laid off after 21 years at the mostly nonunion Daily/Sunday Gazette of Schenectady). The Guild also has a way people can demonstrate support.
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