Employees picket at Garnet Health Medical Center

Employees at Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown took part in “informational picketing” last week as they called on Garnet Health to invest in frontline workers and patient care, raising wages and benefits and staffing.

Ashely Frias, a nursing unit coordinator for impatient oncology, says the cost of living and a staff shortage has made it hard for staff to do their jobs.

“We are currently in contract negotiations,” said Frias, who has been at the hospital for six years. “We are asking for an 18% increase over the next three years because our cost-of-living increase since our last negotiation has gone up 19.1%. My husband and I work at Garnet. The last thing we want to do is strike because this is our local hospital, and we care about our patients. But we are short staffed, ER wait times are too high, staff is shorthanded, and many of us are having trouble paying our bills.”

Garnet spokesperson Marcy Manheim said Garnet believes a resolution is within reach.

“Garnet Health has been negotiating diligently and in good faith with 1199 SEIU Healthcare Workers East representing Service, Clerical, Technical and Professional Bargaining Units at Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown and Garnet Health Medical Center – Catskills in Harris and Callicoon,” Manheim said. “We are fully committed to our valuable workforce as well as all residents of Sullivan and Orange counties. We are confident we will soon have a resolution that is fair and beneficial to all. Patient care is not at all impacted while members of 1199 SEIU conduct their informational picket.”