The Registered Nurses at St Catherines of Siena Catholic Health Systems (CHS) on Long Island, NY have been on strike for 20 days because their employer refuses to address their serious concerns about short staffing, mandatory OT, retention and recruitment incentives (salaries and benefits) as well as other working conditions.
The hospital claims it can't afford the improvements the nurses need to attract and RETAIN nurses for staff nurse positions.
The freedom of information act makes it possible to get copies of CHS' tax returns for '97, '98, '99. The nurses, as a union, obtained this information and released it. Take a close look at the figures and where the hospital's money is going. Look at the yearly raises and pensions the administration gave themselves! And these are the people telling the nurses they "can't afford" to improve workplace conditions or increased salaries or benefits for the nurses:
List of officers & their Salaries (compensation), Contributions to benefits plans/deferred compensations (annuities/pensions), and Total annual compensation (total yearly salary):
Ronald Aldrich
President - F/T position
1997
Salary - $90,000.oo
Contributions to benefit plans/annuities - $ 0.00 Total annual salary - $90,000.oo...
1998
Salary - $800,200.oo
Contributions to benefits plans/annuities - $225,706.oo
Total annual salary - $1,025,906.oo.....
1999
Salary - $1,058,835.oo
Contributions to benefits plans/annuities -
$253,495.oo
Total Salary - $1,312,330.oo.....
Raise of over a million dollars in 2 years
Donna O'Brien, Sr.... VP - F/T
1997
Salary - $26,250.00
Contributions to benefits/annuities - 00.00
Total Salary - 26,250.00......
1998
Salary - $298,177.00
Contributions to benefits/annuities -$43,598.00
Total salary - $341,775.00.....
1999
Salary - $382,367.00
Contributions to benefits/annuities - $55,443.00
Total Salary - $437,810.00.....
Raise of over four hundred thousand dollars in 2 years
Terrance Daly CFO 40%- part-time work
1997
Salary - $00.00...
1998
Salary - $148,000.00
Contribution to benefits/annuities - $59,472.00
Total Salary - $207,472.00...
1999
Salary - $213,330.00
Contributions to benefits/annuities - $51,486.00
Total Salary - $264,816.00...
Raise of over fifty thousand dollars in 1 yr - part time
Martin Helldorger - position = "As Needed"
1999
Salary - $318,028.00
Contributions to benefits/annuities - $23,707.00
Total Salary - $341,735.00...... (for an "as needed "position!)
Alan Kertland - position = "As Needed"
1999
Salary - $150,000.00
Contributions to benefits/annuities - $24,252.00
Total Salary - $174,587.00
How much do you get paid per diem? Over $100,000/yr? How much of a raise did you get last year? What % raise is it from $90,000 to $1,025,906.oo? Thats how much % of raise the hospital president got over just one year. What % raise is it from $207,472.00 to $264,816.00? Thats how much of a raise a part time administrator got. Administrator's explanations as to why they need high salaries is:
"TO ATTRACT THE BEST AND KEEP THEM HERE"
Ohhhhhhhh reeeaaallllllllyyyyyy????
So they DO understand the concept after all!