AVERNE, NEW YORK, August 13 — Over 350 Peninsula General Hospital workers and community residents of this predominantly black and Latino area rallied today to fight the closing of their hospital. Workers had enthusiastically organized door-to-door to bring their fight-back message to the Rockaway and Broad Channel neighborhoods. Their hospital had been slated to close due to Medicaid/Medicare cuts and through theft by the MEDSYS management. MEDSYS, which also runs Brooklyn’s Brookdale Hospital (and others), uses hospital revenues like its own piggy bank (see CHALLENGE, 8/3).
A Brooklyn PL hospital worker spoke at this rally, exposing the fact that this is not an isolated event. Hospital bosses, along with city, state and federal politicians, are planning to close many more healthcare facilities. This is part of the strategic plan to cut workers’ livings standards in order to maintain profits as well as pay for imperialist oil conflicts worldwide. He called for uniting all our brothers and sisters in a citywide strike of all the hospitals to stop all the layoffs and closings. He also urged an occupation of Governor Cuomo’s NYC offices to publicize this struggle.
Union Misleaders Play the Bosses’ Game
In sharp contrast to the rank-and-file’s actions, the leadership of SEIU-1199 tried to mute the workers’ anger with their worn-out message of “call your local politicians,” the very same politicians who have voted for these cuts. The union misleaders did nothing to mobilize 1199’s 300,000 members, many of whom face similar layoff threats.
Several Peninsula workers gave their contact information to keep them in touch with other hospital workers who are fighting back. The protests against these racist closings continues. At present, Peninsula remains open, and the friends we have met in this battle have been introduced to PL’s revolutionary ideas. They can become future leaders of our Party and the struggle for communism, a society without bosses and profits in which the health of all workers will be guaranteed.