The Indypendent News Hour on WBAI-99.5 FM // 10 Jan. '22
The Indypendent's Steven Wishnia updates us on the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) strike. He\u2019s been speaking with nurses about their working conditions and demands. Over seven thousand nurses at four private hospitals are on strike. \u201cBosses have pushed us to strike by refusing to seriously consider our proposals to address the desperate crisis of unsafe staffing that harms our patients,\u201d says the union.\n\nYesterday City Council\u2019s labor committee held a public hearing on a measure supported by the Adams administration that would make it possible for the City to transfer 250,000 retired city workers from their current medicare health coverage to privately-run Medicare Advantage. The retirees have put up a fierce battle for over a year. City council is tentatively scheduled to vote on the measure on Jan. 19. We speak with Barbara Karess, adjunct professor at Baruch College in manhattan and a proud member of professional Professional Staff Congres CUNY.\n\nLastly, we speak with callers live on the air on WBAI 99.5 FM. Callers share their views on the nurses\u2019 strike and how municipal union leaders have set up retired municipal employees to lose medicare benefits.