(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) - Thousands of Unionized Health Care Workers rallied across New York State on Friday (March 22nd) - including Buffalo, to call on Governor Kathy Hochul to adequately fund Medicaid, the Public Health Insurance Program that more than seven million low-income New Yorkers rely on.

Rallies and marches were held in major cities across the State, including Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Poughkeepsie, Manhattan, Yonkers and Hempstead on Long Island.

The largest march kicked off in Manhattan and ended at the Governor’s Office where a delegation representing more than 600 Faith Leaders statewide delivered a letter outlining their demands to Governor Hochul.

However, the largest Upstate rally took place near the Governor’s hometown in Downtown Buffalo where a coalition of Faith Leaders, Community Organizations, Labor Unions and Union-represented Health Care Workers - employed in hospitals, nursing homes, home care and community-based settings, marched and rallied in protest of Hochul’s budget.

Despite freezing temperatures and fresh snow that had fallen earlier in the day, those who participated in the Buffalo action included the NAACP’s Buffalo Chapter, the Hispanic Heritage Council, 1199 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Healthcare Workers East, the Communication Workers of America (CWA), the Public Employees Federation (PEF), the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), the Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF), Healthcare Workers Rising, the New York Alliance for Healthcare Justice, and the Healthcare Education Project.

Cuts to health care funding and shortfalls to Medicaid reimbursements in Governor Hochul’s proposed budget would worsen health care disparities and threaten more closures of hospitals and nursing homes, Unionized Caregivers and Community Advocates told those at the rally.

They said the Governor’s proposed budget contains hundreds of millions of dollars in unspecified health care cuts and would fail to adequately fund Medicaid. 

CWA Local 1168 President Cori Gambini, a 37-year Registered Nurse, spoke at the rally in the shadow of City Hall, telling those who had assembled: “‘No one knows better (than Unionized Caregivers) the problems (caused) by underfunding.’  This is a ‘crucial fight for health care justice.’  The State ‘is not adequately funding’ hospitals and ‘there is not enough’ Staff ‘to take care of our patients.’  These people ‘are not numbers on a page, they are our family, our friends and members of our community.’  ‘We cannot stand by without raising our voices.’  ‘We must get the funding we need.’  Our patients, and our community, ‘deserve it.’  ‘Everyone is touched by health care and not one New Yorker is not impacted.’”

Current Medicaid funding levels compensate health care providers 30% less than the actual cost of care, which has forced health care institutions across the State to cut back services or close entirely.  Recent and announced hospital closures include Eastern Niagara Hospital, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, SUNY (State University of New Yor) Downstate, and the Kingsbrook Jewish Medicaid Center. 

Governor Hochul has furthermore proposed alarming cuts to homecare, including slashing wages by $3 an hour for Home Health Aides employed through the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP).  This program allows individuals with disabilities who rely on Medicaid to directly hire an in-home Caregiver of their choice, enabling them to live independently with the support of a trusted Caregiver rather than going through an agency or moving into an institutional setting. 

This cut would exacerbate New York’s shortage of Home Care Workers, while harming a predominantly low-wage and Female Workforce, those who spoke at the rally said.

In contrast, the New York State Senate and Assembly’s one house budget proposals reject the Governor’s cuts to health care and would put New York on a path to closing the Medicaid funding gap, they said.

Speakers at the rally also touched on a number of raw nerves during their addresses.

“It is ‘time’ for the Governor ‘to stand we us.’  (Front Line/Essential Health Care Workers) ‘are the reason why made it through’ (the COVID-19 Pandemic),” an 1199 SEIU Caregiver said. “‘We gave (100%) of what we had and our community deserves better.’  ‘We refuse to keep the health care handcuffs on us.’”

Another local Community Activist said: “We ‘need to make noise.’  ‘No matter how cold it is, we are here to be heard.’”

Then a chant rang out over the crowd: “Fund our health care” and “Where is the justice?”

WNYALF President Peter DeJesus, Jr. ended the rally by telling the crowd: “‘We are ready to fight and we are fighting for what we deserve.’  ‘If we are make New York State the best State in the Nation, then we can’t do it without’ health care.  ‘Health care is our right!’”

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Photos that appear with this Labor News Report were taken by WNYLaborToday.com during the Downtown Buffalo rally.  Information from a 1199 SEIU Press Release was also included in this Labor News Story.  For more on this Labor News Story, go to: ‘Tell Governor Hochul New York Needs Medicaid Equity, Now!’ - Coalition Of Labor Unions, Community Organizations, Hospital/Nursing Home Leaders & State Legislators Kick Off Public Awareness Campaign To Remedy ‘Dire’ Medicaid Funding Crisis - WNY Labor Today: Your On-Line Labor Newspaper, Bringing You Labor News From Across The Nation, New York State & Western New York