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Ozanam Hall Press Release - May 18, 2012

UFCW Local 342 Holds Joint Press Conference with Community Leaders at Ozanam Hall Nursing Home in Bayside, Queens to Address Reduced Staffing Levels, Resident Care Concerns-Local 342, Concerned Union Workers, New York State Assemblyman Rory Lancman, and RWDSU Local 338 Call on Bishop of Brooklyn Nicholas DiMarzio to End Home’s Damaging Staff Cutting Policies

Bayside, Queens – On Friday, May 18th, UFCW Local 342, the union that represents over 400 nursing home workers at Ozanam Hall in Bayside, Queens, New York State Assemblyman Rory Lancman, RWDSU Local 338, and concerned union staff from the Catholic Home, publicly signed a letter that calls upon Bishop of Brooklyn Nicholas DiMarzio to intervene on behalf of the residents by ending the Home’s damaging staffing policies, as well as their efforts to reduce the regular full-time work week from 37.5 to 35 hours. The public outcry from the union and community leaders comes only after numerous attempts to convince the management of Ozanam Hall that their policies to not fill sick calls, and also bargain for a shorter work week, are putting resident care at risk. Over the last month, Local 342 has already reached out to Bishop DiMarzio several times for help, but disappointingly, the Bishop has yet to respond. Additionally, the union has been negotiating with Ozanam Hall since 2010 for a new contract, but the Home has refused to offer fair wage increases or consider the impact that reducing the regular full-time work week will have on the residents and the union workers.

In an attempt to justify their policies and bargaining position, Ozanam Hall has claimed that they are experiencing “financial hardship.” However, Local 342 released a financial report to the media prepared by an expert accountant, which shows that the Home has approximately $55 million in reserve accounts and nearly $29 million in liquid finances. “Ozanam Hall’s financial situation hardly qualifies as a hardship,” said Kate Meckler, the union’s Director of Communications. “This Home needs to keep their facility properly staffed and give the workers fair wage increases so that the residents can receive the best possible care and the workers can take care of their families. It is time for Ozanam Hall to stop using their exaggerated financial position as an excuse,” she added. In support of Local 342, RWDSU Local 338 President John Durso, through a representative, echoed Meckler’s thoughts. “Preserving top notch resident care and giving the union members who work at the Home fair wages, as well as the hours necessary to do their jobs properly should be the Home’s number one priority. Local 338 will stand with Local 342 in their fight to protect the residents and their union members,” Durso stated.

Motivated by the drop off in resident care and deteriorating working conditions, two union members who work at the Home stepped up and courageously shared stories with the media about their recent experiences. Donna Andrew, a CNA who has worked at the Home for 12 years, spoke about how Ozanam Hall’s new policies have impacted her ability to care for the residents. “It is very hard to do all the work when the sick calls are not filled,” Andrew said. “Residents are being served dinner late, put to bed late, and are not being taken care of in a timely manner because we do not have enough workers to cover everything. It will only get worse if they reduce our hours,” she stated. Cheryl Van Putten, a CNA who has worked at the Home for 17 years, agreed with Andrew’s sentiments. “Having to take care of more residents while trying to give the same care they deserve is impossible,” Van Putten said. “Even though I am working harder and doing my best to help the residents, the staffing cuts are not allowing me to give the residents the same amount of attention I would like to receive myself if I were in their situation,” she concluded.

In response to the stories shared by these brave union members, New York State Assemblyman and Congressional candidate Rory Lancman stated. “Ozanam owes its well-deserved reputation for delivering quality care to its residents to its dedicated and well-trained workers,” Lancman said. "They deserve a fair contract with adequate staff hours for themselves and for the patients that they care for.”

Currently, Local 342 has already had a strike vote, which has been approved by the members working at the Home, but as of this moment, the union has not revealed any information about future strike plans. “The members are willing to do whatever is necessary to maintain proper care for the residents and get what they deserve. That is all we will say at this time,” Meckler concluded.

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UFCW Local 342 represents nearly 10,000 workers in New York and New Jersey throughout a variety of industries including retail food, wholesale food processing, distribution, manufacturing, and healthcare.

Union Dispute Hits Queens Nursing Home

Thursday, May 10, 2012

From the Queens Chronicle

After numerous attempts to get a Bayside nursing home to reverse what it calls “unauthorized policies,” the union representing its workers has turned to the public for support.

The union also claims that efforts to get the home to bargain for a fair contract have gone unanswered. Read more...

Bayside’s Ozanam Hall Workers Union Votes to Strike

Thursday, May 10, 2012

From the Times Ledger

Labor negotiations have not reached a tipping point yet at Bayside’s Ozanam Hall nursing home, but members of the UFCW Local 342 union voted Monday to authorize a strike, the group said. Read more...

Nursing Home Union in Labor Talks

Thursday, May 3, 2012

From the Times Ledger

Negotiations have heated up at Bayside’s Ozanam Hall nursing home as more than 400 members of the UFCW Local 342 union accused management of unfair working conditions and the employees reached out to the community to share their stories, distributing leaflets to visitors at the home.

Repeated calls to Ozanam Hall’s management were not returned.

According to the workers, cuts in hours have forced them to take on a heavier workload than normal, lessening the quality of care for their patients. Read more...

Ozanam Hall Press Release

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

For Immediate Release:

Cutbacks in Staff Hours, Budget Causes Resident Neglect at Catholic Nursing Home in Queens

-Union Workers Rally at Ozanam Hall to Let Community Know that Home’s Unnecessary Penny Pinching is Leading to Substandard Care

Queens, New York– Over 400 nursing home workers at Ozanam Hall in Bayside, Queens, and UFCW Local 342, the union that represents them, haven taken their pleas to the public after numerous attempts to get the Home to reverse unauthorized policies and bargain a fair contract, have gone unanswered. The workers, who hold various jobs at the Home including CNAs (Certified Nursing Assistant,) LPNs (Licensed Practical Nurse,) Housekeeping, Dietary, Service and Maintenance, Activities, and Clerical staff, were out leafleting this past weekend, letting visitors to the Home, as well as the surrounding community, know that the residents are not getting the proper care that they deserve.

According to the leaflets being distributed around the Home, staff hours have been drastically cut, forcing personnel to take on more work with considerably less time to complete it. As a result, care for the residents has suffered drastically. “The understaffing of the Home has caused residents to miss feeding times, go long periods without bathing, live in unsanitary room conditions, and lie uncomfortably in soiled clothing for an extended time, among many other unspeakable horrors,” said union Executive Director Kelly Egan. The leaflet, which described many of the Home’s unfair policies on one side, also gave family and friends visiting residents an opportunity to fill out a Family Care Complaint Form on the other. ”We just wanted to give the residents’ family and friends a chance to voice their concerns to the Home,” asserted Egan, who also added that the union and volunteer workers from the Home planned on handing the complaint forms to Ozanam Hall’s management once they have been analyzed.

Besides reducing hours of the staff to dangerously low levels, and not replacing staff members who call out sick, the Home has also implemented budget cuts that have severely affected the residents’ care. “It has gotten to the point that we do not even have enough toiletries to properly clean the residents,” said a CNA who has worked at the Home for ten years, but wished to keep her name anonymous. “We have resorted to using pillow cases as a substitute, which we then have to clean and let other residents rest their heads on later,” the worker added. Jane Williams, another CNA at the Home, went a step further, stating that the Home no longer allows for the residents to have late night snacks either. “Many of us go out and buy the residents food with our own money just to keep them from feeling hungry,” Williams said. “All they want is a little something to eat after dinner once in a while.”

To add to the confusion, the union and Ozanam Hall have been negotiating for new contract terms since the previous one expired in 2010. However, a fair agreement has not yet been reached in part because the Home has continuously claimed that it is in financial distress. The Home has refused to give the workers a fair wage increase despite the fact that the union’s auditor found that the Home is vastly exaggerating its supposedly poor financial standing. "The union auditor uncovered that the Home has plenty of liquid money available in reserve accounts," said Kate Meckler, the union’s Director of Communications. "There is no reason for them to be squeezing their loyal workers while also putting the residents’ care at risk. They clearly have the money,” Meckler added.

Currently, UFCW Local 342 is demanding that the Home immediately cease its unauthorized policies so that resident care is returned to the level that they deserve. Additionally, the union wants a fair living wage increase for the members, including back pay for the last two years, with all other contract language and protections remaining untouched. “The union and our members are determined to achieve their goals, and if this public outreach to the residents’ loved ones, as well as the community, does not force the Home to do the right thing, more drastic measures will be taken,” Meckler concluded.

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Ozanam Hall Press Release

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 -

For Immediate Release:

Nursing Home Union Workers at Catholic Queens Facility Look to Religious Leaders for Support

-Selfish Employer’s Policies Hurting Workers and Putting Patient Care at Risk-

Queens, New York– Over 400 nursing home workers at Ozanam Hall in Bayside, Queens are looking to religious leaders in the area for support in their fight against illegal changes in working conditions, as well as bad faith contract bargaining by the Home. The workers, members of UFCW Local 342, work as CNAs (Certified Nursing Assistant,) LPNs (Licensed Practical Nurse,) Housekeeping, Dietary, Service and Maintenance, Activities and Clerical staff. One of the main issues on the table is fair wage increases for the members, who have not had a raise in over two years since the contract expired. According to the union, in addition to refusing to give fair wage increases, the Home has also intentionally violated contract terms by cutting workers’ hours and not covering sick calls. These actions have caused understaffing, as well as a severe drop off in the Home’s ability to care for the patients, workers at the Home have said.

The union and Ozanam Hall have been bargaining since 2010. However, a fair agreement has not yet been reached in part because the Home has continuously claimed that they are financially strapped. Unfortunately for the Home, making this claim gave the union the legal opportunity to review Ozanam Hall's financial records. "Once this financial review was completed, the union's accounting report found that not only is Ozanam Hall not suffering from a financial crisis, but in fact, the Home has money available in reserve accounts," said union spokeswoman Kate Meckler. "Additionally, the Home is seeking concessions from the workers in the form of wage freezes and reduction of benefits, using their false financial status as a basis for their demand for give-backs," Meckler added.

Currently, Local 342 is seeking a fair living wage increase for the members, with back pay for the last two years, and for all other contract language and protections to remain untouched. These are reasonable demands that will help the members survive as the cost of living rises, and also allow them to provide patients at the Home the care that they deserve. In an attempt to point out the misdeeds of this facility, the union and its members have reached out to religious leaders in the area for support. Heartfelt letters and video testimonials from the members regarding deteriorating working conditions and patient care concerns were recently sent out to help raise awareness of the religious community to these issues. “We love these patients and want to give them the care that they need, but the Home’s new policies are not letting us do this,” said Charlie Doheny, a union member who has worked at the Home as an LPN for 39 years. “If they do not give us our hours back and also give us a fair wage increase, not only will we not be able to properly support the patients in the Home, but we will not be able to support our own families either,” Doheny concluded.

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UFCW Local 342 Donates 375 Easter Baskets to Underprivileged Children

- April 10, 2012

Members Deliver Easter Baskets to Four Local Charities

Mineola, New York - Members of UFCW Local 342, a union that emphasizes service and enriching the local communities where its members work, recently delivered 375 Easter baskets to four charitable organizations located within its surrounding neighborhoods so that underprivileged children in the area could have an opportunity to further enjoy their Easter. The union represents nearly 10,000 workers in the retail food, wholesale food processing, distribution, manufacturing, and healthcare industries. Local 342 members work at employers ranging from A&P, Pathmark, Waldbaum’s, Food Emporium, Stop & Shop and King Kullen, to wholesale shops located in the Hunt’s Point Market, as well as nursing homes.

Each year, Local 342 members look forward to providing underprivileged children some happiness during the Easter holiday that they may not have received if it was not for local charities and their generous donors. Wonderful organizations such as the Lighthouse Mission in Bellport, New York, Fellowship Baptist Church in Staten Island, New York, Angel Guardian- Mercy First Church in Brooklyn, New York, and Our Lady of Grace in West Babylon, New York give Local 342 members an outlet to truly display their kindness.

For Dean Blafford, an active Local 342 member and Shop Steward who grew up near Angel Guardian- Mercy First Church in Brooklyn, the significance of distributing baskets filled with toys and goodies to the children during the Easter holiday was not lost. “It’s just a beautiful thing,” Dean said. “To see the faces of these children light up with excitement gives you a warm feeling and also makes you appreciate what you have,” the Stop & Shop meat cutter stated. Ciro Sancimino, also a long time Union member and meat cutter in a Stop and Shop located in Brooklyn, had similar thoughts. “It felt great to help out these kids. It’s really nice that Local 342 gives us a chance to do this,” Ciro happily asserted.

This year continued an Easter basket donation tradition that Local 342 members began many years ago. The donations have only continued to grow as the membership has grown larger and become even more giving.

“Our members seemingly want to donate more baskets and do even more to help these underprivileged children during Easter every year,” said Kelly Egan, Local 342 Safety, Education, Cultural, and Activities Director. “No matter what type of economic situation our country finds itself in, our members always find a way to go the extra mile and give a little bit more,” Egan proudly concluded.

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UFCW Local 342 represents nearly 10,000 workers in New York and New Jersey throughout a variety of industries including retail food, wholesale food processing, distribution, and manufacturing.

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