By Scott Lewis
Workers' union addresses City Council
The year-long fight between the Long Beach Medical Center and the recently organized LBMC's workers' union, which has been trying to negotiate its first contract with the hospital, continued at the Tuesday, September 19 City Council meeting.
Members of the LBMC's Civil Service Employees Association used the City Council meeting as an opportunity to once again blast the LBMC administration.
Addressing the council members, as well as those in attendance, CSEA representative and hospital worker Noemi Marri opened the meeting by handing the council a petition containing 1,800 signatures.
Ms. Marri then read from a prepared statement as CSEA members handed out informational flyers to the crowd.
"We are here tonight because we want your help," Ms. Marri said. "It is time for our elected city council people to stand up for us and our families. It is also time for you to stand against a bad neighbor and an unfair employer-the Long Beach Medical Center."
Ms. Marri said the petition was signed by local residents who are concerned about what is happening to the LBMC workers.
"We are asking you to stop the tax breaks for the medical center, which is delinquent in its city taxes, bulkhead payments, and water and sewer charges," Ms. Marri said. "The medical center should be fair and stop wasting money to avoid their obligations. They should use their resources on their workers, their facilities and to pay their bills."
Ms. Marri ended the statement by saying the City Council should "make the hospital pay its fair share," and that the hospital's resources should be used on the hospital workers, facilities and the tax rolls of Long Beach.
No questions were asked by the City Hall crowd after the CSEA statement, though one unidentified man groaned loudly as Ms. Marri approached the podium.
"Oh no, not this again," the unidentified man said.
