Hospital Union Employees Allege Contract Violations

By Holly Crocco

Members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East who work at Putnam Hospital are accusing the county’s largest employer of not fulfilling its commitment to pay raises that were agreed upon in a 2023 contract.

Allegations include the hospital revoking a pay raise to some radiology department employees that it later declared was an error, the facility withholding a pay increase from union members in retaliation for grievance filed, and other violations.

During the County Legislature’s March 18 Health Committee meeting, Putnam Hospital President Dr. Mark Hirko said “union members and negotiators are going over the details of the different issues with the 2023 memorandum of understanding (contract). We know, coming up at the end of the summer, we will start another negotiation for another contract.”

When asked if hospital administration will be involved in resolving the alleged pay discrepancies, Hirko said administration members are simply notified of the negotiations.

“This is something that should be handled between union leadership and the people that negotiate,” he said.

One employee who spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting said she was disgusted with her employer.

“The communication has been very poor on your end,” she told Hirko. “Numerous employees have reached out numerous time asking for an explanation and gotten zero response. That’s unacceptable.”

After more than a year of negotiations, in 2023, Nuvance Health – which owns and operates Putnam Hospital – and the local chapter of the Service Employees International Union reached a contract agreement.

According to an article by Maria Silva in the Times Union, prior to the contract agreement, biomedical engineers and radiation therapists at Putnam Hospital had been without a union contract since the previous one expired in September 2022.

As of December 2022, 199 workers at Putnam Hospital made less than $20 an hour, with the lowest rates ranging from $15.72 to $19.97 an hour, according to Silva’s article, who quoted information provided by 1199SEIU.

With the new contract, employees working 40 hours a week who were paid an hourly rate of $16.71 were to receive $18.50 to $20 an hour. Service workers like clerks, receivers, and those working in material handling were to get paid $18.50, while front desk and transportation employees were to receive $19 an hour. 

1199SEIU has represented workers at Putnam Hospital since the 1980s.