Action on MLK Birthday Evokes His Legacy: ‘Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.’*



New York City - Registered nurses and healthcare workers from Fresenius dialysis clinics will be on an informational picket line on FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 11:30 am – 3:30 pm at EIGHT of the provider’s facilities, calling on the largest dialysis company in the U.S. to be fair to its workers who provide quality care for patients. The RNs, members of the New York State Nurses Association, and the healthcare workers, members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, are currently seeking contracts covering 13 Fresenius Medical Care (FMC) clinics in the NYC area.



*** Nurses and healthcare workers will be available to the press at TWO LOCATIONS: in Brooklyn and Bronx listed below.



WHO: Registered Nurses of the New York State Nurses Association

Healthcare Workers of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East

WHAT: Informational Picketing at Fresenius Medical Care Clinics in Metro NYC

WHEN: Friday, January 15 11:30 am – 3:30 pm

WHERE: Brooklyn: NephroCare West, 362 4th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215

Bronx: Montefiore Dialysis Center IV, 1776 Eastchester Rd., Bronx, NY 10461



FMC, a global company based in Bad Homburg, Germany, reported operating profits from dialysis in the U.S. alone of $1.6 billion in 2014. FMC is seeking to cut benefits of dialysis nurses and healthcare workers in its contract negotiations for many of its NYC-area operations. Dialysis patients, who suffer from End Stage Renal Disease, are among the most vulnerable in the patient population. Many dialysis patients, including those at these Fresenius clinics, are from communities of color. Quality care for dialysis patients requires a committed workforce. The two unions have urged FMC to invest in safe, quality patient care through fair contracts for the nurses and healthcare workers.



“If Martin Luther King were alive today he would be pointing at inequality in healthcare” said Teresa Schloth, RN, a Fresenius nurse. “Dialysis clinics, especially those serving minority communities, should be committed to delivering quality care to our patients. That requires experienced nurses and healthcare workers. Yet the givebacks proposed by Fresenius would undercut the workforce, and the patients and communities we serve.”



“We are taking a stand against corporate greed,” said Kelvin Peña, equipment technician at Nephrocare Inc., a Fresenius holding. “Fresenius wants to squeeze profits out of its employees by switching us to a more expensive health plan with inferior coverage. Fresenius is a multi-billion dollar global company with more than enough resources to make sure its staff has the coverage to remain healthy. We can’t allow companies like Fresenius to short-change workers locally to make profits globally.”



* Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in a speech to the Medical Committee for Human Rights, 1966.



1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest healthcare union in the nation. They represent over 400,000 caregivers in hospitals, nursing homes, homecare programs, clinics and pharmacies throughout the East Coast. Their mission is to achieve quality healthcare and good jobs for all.



The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) represents more than 37,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. For more information, please visit our website at www.nysna.org.