Hospital, workers try for contract

Labor negotiations are on between workers at MidHudson Regional Hospital and the new management that took it over from Saint Francis Hospital last year.

Wednesday, the union representing about 845 workers staged a picket urging that management come up with better contract at.

Key issues are benefits, especially health care, say members of the local unit, organized under 1199SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East.

A year and a half ago, when the facility was Saint Francis, most of the employees voted in the union. Soon after, the hospital declared bankruptcy, citing other reasons, resulting in a takeover by Westchester Medical Center.

Linda Kelly, 67, a registered nurse, said the high-deductible health plan at MidHudson is costly. She said that when her husband had major back surgery, "We had to pay $3,000 out of pocket before I met the deductible."

Westchester management issued a statement on behalf of Mid-Hudson Valley Staffco, which employs the 1199SEIU members for the hospital, stating it has proposed wage increases "including significantly raising minimum hiring rates, to bring the salaries of the staff at MidHudson ... towards market level."

Health plans will improve in January including reduced premiums for employees covering spouses and children, the statement said.

Craig Wolf: 845-437-4815; cwolf@poughkeepsiejournal.com; Twitter: @craigwolfPJ