Press Release Archives #194-98 - Announces Agreement with Union Leader Stanley Hill Regarding Layoffs at the Health and Hospitals Corporation

Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Friday, May 1, 1998

Release #194-98

Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Curt Ritter (212) 788-2971

MAYOR GIULIANI ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH UNION LEADER STANLEY HILL REGARDING LAYOFFS AT THE HEALTH AND HOSPITALS CORPORATION

-- Agreement Postpones Layoffs For 30 Days --

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) President Dr. Luis Marcos and District Council 37 Executive Director Stanley Hill announced today an agreement between the City and Unions regarding the pending layoffs at HHC during a press conference at City Hall this afternoon.

Under the terms of the agreement:

The City has agreed to postpone the layoffs for 30 days. During the 30 day period, half of the HHC employees who were to be laid off will immediately go to a City Evaluation Center next week to determine if they can be redeployed to assignments at other HHC hospitals and facilities or other City agencies. The remaining 50 percent will remain at their current posts for the next two weeks and then report to the City Evaluation Center for redeployment consideration.
The parties will negotiate voluntary severance and/or early retirement packages for union members.
The unions will place their lawsuit against the City "in abeyance" during this period.
The City will assume HHC's financial responsibility for the next 30 days for the 905 employees who were to be laid off.

Mayor Giuliani said, "Today's agreement reflects a willingness on the part of the City, the Health and Hospitals Corporation and the unions to seek common ground regarding the proposed layoffs at the Health and Hospitals Corporation. It could not have been forged without the leadership and cooperation of Stanley Hill and Dr. Luis Marcos. I think the agreement achieves a balance between the concerns of the union leadership for their members and the fiscal responsibilities that HHC and the City bear in operating the municipal hospital system."

DC 37 Union Executive Director Stanley Hill said, "In reaching this agreement Mayor Giuliani and Dr. Marcos have acted with sensitivity and responsibility. Because of the Mayor's continuing concern for workers he went the extra mile and agreed to sit down and work this out. I also want to thank Jim Butler, President of Local 420, for the leadership and support that he has provided in this crisis."

HHC President Dr. Luis Marcos said, "I'm supportive of this decision and glad that we were able to achieve an agreement that will benefit the workers and allow us to remain fiscally responsible to the needs of HHC."

At the end of the 30 day period, all the parties will reconvene to evaluate the progress that has been made in implementing the agreement.

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