Outraged RNs to Protest Outside Boston Headquarters of Cerberus/Steward Health Care on Oct. 28
Will tell for-profit giant to honor its commitments and end culture of corporate greed that harms nurses and their patients
BOSTON, Mass. — Outraged MNA nurses and health professionals from eight hospitals owned and operated by Cerberus/Steward Health Care will gather outside the for-profit giant’s corporate headquarters in Boston on Friday, Oct. 28 at 1:30 p.m. to tell Steward leadership that it must honor its commitments, keep its promises and put an end to oppressive practices that harm nurses/health professionals and the patients under their care at Cerberus/Steward hospitals across the state.
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 28
WHERE: Dewey Square, Occupy Boston AND 500 Boylston St., Cerberus/Steward Headquarters
TIME: 12:15 p.m. at Dewey Square, Boston AND 1:30 p.m. at 500 Boylston St., Boston
WHO: Protesters will include delegations of nurses from Cerberus/Steward owned hospitals in the state including, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Brighton, Norwood Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton, Morton Hospital in Taunton, Quincy Medical Center, Carney Hospital in Dorchester, Holy Family Hospital in Methuen and Merrimack Valley Hospital in Haverhill.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents 3000 registered nurses and health professionals who work at eight hospitals owned and operated by Cerberus/Steward Health Care, have been fighting for months to get the for-profit giant to honor its commitments and keep its promises, including a highly publicized contractual agreement to provide nurses with a defined benefit pension plan. In addition to Steward’s reneging on the pension agreement, the nurses are also protesting the hospital’s oppressive management practices, including the firing of nurses and union advocates without just cause, the refusal to provide appropriate staffing and the recent threats to eliminate essential services in retaliation for the nurses’ demand that the hospital honor its agreements. The events take place the day after the MNA and Cerberus/Steward begin hearings before an arbitrator over the issue of the nurses’ pension.
Despite the promises made to continue services in its voracious acquisition of Massachusetts hospitals, Cerberus/Steward is now using the threat of closure of these same facilities in order to justify its refusal to honor its agreements with its nurses. Cerberus/Steward is taking these actions despite the fact that Cerberus/Steward’s parent company, Cerberus Capitol Management, is one of the most powerful, multi-billion dollar private equity firms on Wall Street.
As part of the day’s events, the nurses will make a stop at the Occupy Boston site in Dewey Square, drawing attention to the fact that Cerberus/Steward, exemplifies the unbridled corporate greed that has caused the current financial crisis and the undermining of the middle class.
For more information, contact David Schildmeier at 781-249-0430.
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4 Responses to “Press Advisory: Outraged Nurses to Rally Today”
I find your mission offending. At first, I thought it was for the people that is, have and will be losing their homes due to foreclosures, and also because of the “banking” issues. But that is not the case at after watching a news brief on tv on some of your followers. I am offended because he can’t get a job in this economy because there are “no” jobs out there for him and he can’t live on a salary of $34,000 a year. HELLO. Just because he/ you “graduated” from a college/ university gives you “NO” right to demeanor “ANY” salary range. You do what you have to do to live. I make below $34,000 and also have 2-part time jobs so that I can afford to pay the rent, my car and my “OWN” RESPONSIBILITIES. And I “DON’T BLAME ANYONE” – yes it’s tough but you gotta do what you gotta do. And by the way – I do know it’s tough out there because I was unemployed for 2-1/2 years before I finally landed my current job. SO VOTE ME OUT OCCUPY WHATEVER!!!… And slumming at So. Station to working class people does not help your case what so ever. Get a Life and Own UP to you own responsibilities.
That 20-something who said that does not represent the movement. The movement is all of us – you and me, the working folks, and middle class Americans.
I have not been at the site or to any of the marches, but am a strong supporter, and hope you will change your mind and remain one too. I too work 50-60 hour weeks, have small children and can’t be there. I have heard from other bloggers that the name “wage slave” and “apathetic” was used for people who have to go to work instead of being there. HOWEVER, I AM STILL A SUPPORTER. That’s because I think the movement stands for the right message, which is that lasting change is needed in Washington and in the corporate world. CEOs should not be paid 20 million while thousands in their companies are getting laid off and can’t provide for their families and losing their homes. So I will do what I can like show my support of the concept of the movement even if some of the organizers say the wrong thing. They are very young, lack experience so we gotta cut them some slack. If they look down at the fact that I can’t be there – so be it. I will continue to be a supporter, until I reach my goals and I see some change.
It is unrealistic to expect that there won’t be some entitled brats among the supporters or some fringe elements with extreme views. That’s just the way it is – it’s the reality. I will continue to sign any petitions that speak to the causes I care about and that qualifies me as a supporter (a virtual one) – like this one:
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/%21/petition/re-establish-and-maintain-separation-between-investment-banks-and-commercial-banks/ywCMKDfn
… and the Occupy folks on the ground need to respect that, as I respect them – except for the few that have too much self-entitlement – BUT I WILL CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED REAL CHANGE in our politics and our economy so we don’t have to work 3 jobs just to pay rent. So stay with me if not with them but let’s stay resolved for some CHANGE to our systems!
I will support you. Start a petition for a cause you care about and I will sign it and pass it on to others to sign it.
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions
Here is an example where the White House did respond recently to a petition by THE PEOPLE:
Official White House Response to
Forgive Student Loan Debt to Stimulate the Economy and Usher in a New Era of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Prosperity
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/response/taking-action-reduce-burden-student-loan-debt
“Today, the Administration is proposing to offer even more immediate relief to many current college students by giving them the chance to limit loan payments to 10 percent of their discretionary income starting in 2012. In addition, the debt would be forgiven after 20 years instead of 25, as current law allows. For many who struggle to manage their student loan debt – including teachers, nurses, public defenders and others in lower-paying jobs – these proposed changes could reduce their payments by hundreds of dollars each month. Overall, this proposal would provide an estimated 1.6 million borrowers with more manageable monthly payments.” (OCT 25th, 2011)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/10/25/we-cant-wait-obama-administration-lower-student-loan-payments-millions-b
EVERYONE CAN BE AN ACTIVIST EVEN IF THEY CAN’T BE THERE IN PERSON!!!!!
I refused to register for the draft so I can never get a student loan or any of these government jobs these people are clamoring to create. It seems they are just attempting to subsidize themselves at the expense of the poor and all the rest of us. And the person who got me to go to Occupy Boston has been very active in the mental patient’s rights movement and up until now she has only brought me to demonstrations where everyone is against the nurses union and their abuse of mental patients.