Sign On Letter:

Justice and a Fair Contract for Nurses at RWJBarnabas’ Clara Mass Medical Center!

Sign your name below!

Dear Mary Ellen Clyne, President and CEO, Clara Maass Medical Center

It has come to our attention that in Clara Maass Medical Center Nurses’ ongoing negotiations for their first union contract, Clara Maass Management is refusing to make significant changes in hospital policies demanded by nurses—who chose to unionize due to concerns about hospital policies and stafffing.

Nurses are demanding staffing improvements, the creation of committees between labor and management to craft hospital policy, professional development opportunities for nurses, and more. These demands are centered around improving working conditions and improving patient care (which are themselves deeply connected).

Management called these nurses “healthcare heroes” during the pandemic, yet they have not demonstrated this appreciation in tangible ways. While management sets policy from the boardroom, nurses are the frontline caregivers best situated to evaluate and execute patient care. Therefore, nurses must have a seat at the table to establish appropriate patient care standards.

We, the undersigned, demand that management fully recognize the nurses’ essential contributions to the hospital and the communities it serves by agreeing to a fair contract that addresses nurses’ concerns and ensures a meaningful voice for nurses in patient care.

Sincerely,

By signing onto this letter to CEO Mary Ellen Clyne I hereby give to 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, their successors and assigns (collectively “1199SEIU”) my permission to use the Letter with my name, city and state, and organizational affiliation, if provided, (the “Letter”) in printed material, videos, digital and online media, advertisements, and any other materials without payment to me for such use.  I acknowledge and agree that 1199SEIU shall have sole ownership rights to the Letter and to any printed material, videos, digital and online media, advertisements, and any other materials in which the Letter is incorporated in whole or in part, and I hereby relinquish and waive any ownership interest which I have in such items, to the extent that any such interest exists.

Signatories:

Mel Aaronson, New York NY 

Ashley Adams, Boston MA 

Helen Adams, Washington DC 

Rabbi Melanie Aron, Washington DC 

Ms Marya Axner, Somerville MA 

Jim Baker, Nivelles Belgium 

Dr. Lynn Barberi, Lewes DE 

Rabbi Allen Bennett, San Francisco CA 

Rabbi Marjorie Berman, Clarks Summit PA 

Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein, Chicago IL 

Ms Robin Berson, New York NY 

Neil Bhaerman, Columbus OH 

Jacob Bolton, Detroit MI 

Ms Alyson Brauning, Vacaville CA 

Jacob Bromberg, Paris Ile-de-France, France 

Jeff Brown, Philadelphia PA 

David Campbell, Carson CA (USW Local 675) 

Charles Carnow, New York NY 

Louis Carotenuto, Brooklyn NY 

Ron Chencinski, Brooklyn NY 

Aliya Cheskis-Cotel, New York NY (Kolot Management) 

Arnold Cohen, Newark NJ 

Rabbi Aryeh Cohen, Los Angeles CA 

David Cohen, Washington DC 

Patrick Crabtree, Mobile AL 

Norman Danzig, Bronx NY 

Ilana DeBare, Oakland CA 

Ms Susan C Dessel, New York NY 

Professor Elin Diamond, Highland Park NJ 

Virginia Diamond, Arlington VA (Northern Virginia Labor Federation) 

Anatole Dolgoff, New York NY 

Stephen Domesick, Lake Worth FL 

Kevin Eitzmann, Ballston Lake NY 

Michael Elchoness, Livingston NJ 

Ed Finkelstein, St. Louis MO (St. Louis Labor Tribune) 

Steven Fischler, Seattle WA 

Joel Freedman, Silver Spring MD 

Mrs. Rita Freedman, Silver Spring MD 

Adrian Fried, Novato CA 

Joyce Frommer, Little Falls NJ 

Stephen Gappelberg, Monroe Twp. NJ 

Ms Carol Gay, Brick NJ (NJ State Industrial Union Council) 

Eric Geist, Silver Spring MD 

Mara Gellman, Roseland NJ 

Bernie Gerard, Port Jefferson Station NY 

Louis Gerber, Falls Church VA 

Mrs. Pamela Gibberman, Panorama City CA 

Dr. Mark Gold, Teaneck NJ 

Chad Goldberg, Madison WI 

Ms Debbie Goldman, Washington DC 

Herbert Goodfriend, Elizabeth NJ 

Ms Erika Gottfried, Seattle WA 

Alix Gould Werth, Brooklyn NY 

Jeffrey Grayzel, Morristown NJ 

Mrs. Susan Grossman, West Orange NJ 

Charles Hall Jr, Newark NJ (RWDSU Local 108) 

Ms Sarah Harnick, Metuchen NJ 

Ms Marta (Marti) Harris, Perris CA 

Bill Henning, Wall NJ (OPEIU Local 32) 

Caitlin Higgins Joy, Caldwell NJ 

Ms Ann Hoffman, Washington DC 

Bruce Jay, Coral Springs FL 

Isaac Jimenez, Jersey City NJ (North NJ DSA) 

Paul Kalka, East Rockaway NY (PEF Jewish Committee) 

John Kaniecki, Montclair NJ 

Fredy Kaplan, New York NY 

Philip Katz, West Newton MA 

Ms Barbara Kavadias, Morristown NJ 

Thomas Kelly, Emerson NJ (Passaic County Central Labor Council) 

David Kerner, Brooklyn NY 

Benjamin Kersten, West Hollywood CA 

Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg, Olympia WA 

Sid Kivanoski, Brooklyn NY 

Dr. Irena Klepfisz, Brooklyn NY 

Ms Maryellen Kluxen, RN, Montclair NJ 

Rabbi Yaakov Komisar, Baltimore MD 

David Kranz, Montclair NJ 

Rabbi Charles Kroloff, Westfield NJ 

Rabbi Clifford Kulwin, Montclair NJ 

Barry Kushnir, East Brunswick NJ (IFPTE Local 194) 

Barry Kushnir, Jersey City NJ 

Ms Judy Lackritz, San Antonio TX 

Rabbi Alan LaPayover, Philadelphia PA 

Deborah Lasher, Metuchen NJ 

Rabbi Harry Levin, Rumson NJ 

Ms Ellen Levitt, Brooklyn NY 

David Levy, Brooklyn NY 

Robert Levy, Ventura CA 

Rabbi Elias Lieberman, East Falmouth MA 

Norman & Sylvia Lieberman, Philadelphia PA 

Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, Philadelphia PA 

Kari Litteer, Baltimore MD 

Mrs. Laurie Lubman, Wantagh NY 

Lev Mallinger, Libertyville IL 

Professor Jeffry Mallow, Glenview IL 

Ms Gail Malmgreen, West Orange NJ 

Rabbi Randall Mark, Wayne NJ 

Anton Marks, Nof Hagalil Israel 

Mrs. Diana Mejia, Madison NJ (Wind of the Spirit, Immigrant Resource Center) 

David Melman, Hopewell NJ 

Rabbi Goldie Milgram, Sarasota FL 

Bertram Miller, Brooklyn NY 

Mitch Miller, Clifton NJ 

Ms Nancy Mills, Brooklyn NY 

Mrs. Edie Molaver, Southington CT 

Mrs. Susan Mullins, Bloomfield NJ 

Ms Gail Gianasi Natale, Seattle WA 

Donald Nesbit, Clark NJ 

Mrs. Ruth Bauer Neustadter, Hackensack NJ 

Dr. Jud Newborn, Plainview NY 

Roberta Newman, New York NY 

John O'Grady, Naperville IL 

Beth Omansky, Portland OR 

Dr. Stephen Oren, Chicago IL 

Lynn Padwee, Monroe Twp NJ 

Ms MB Pepper, Brooklyn NY 

Mike Perry, Chicago IL (Chicago Jewish Labor Committee) 

Jacob Plitman, New York NY 

Michael H. Price, Fort Worth TX 

Rabbi Deborah Prinz, New York NY 

Kenneth Prinz, Washington DC 

Ms Ann Rea, Brunswick ME 

Reverend Kathryn Riss, Piscataway NJ 

Joseph Rodriguez, Rutherford NJ (BCTGM Local 53) 

Hetty Rosenstein, South Orange NJ 

Rabbi Michael Rothbaum, Atlanta GA 

Rabbi Robert Rubin, Brick NJ 

Ms Dahlia Rudavsky, Waban MA 

Rabbi Moshe Rudin, West Orange NJ 

Rafael Santiago, Newark NJ (New Labor) 

Dr. Angelica Santomauro, North Bergen NJ 

Anthony Scally, Paterson NJ 

Dr. Kathryn Scarbrough, East Brunswick NJ 

Ms Kimberly Schiller, Oyster Bay NY 

Mrs. Irene Schuman, Melrose Park PA 

Rabbi Jeremy Schwartz, Willimantic CT 

Steve Schwartz, North Potomac MD 

Rabbi Judith Seid, Pleasanton CA 

Alice Senturia, Key West FL 

Nico Sermoneta, Newark NJ 

Dr. Karen Shawn, Fort Lee NJ 

Rabbi David Shneyer, Beallsville MD (Am Kolel Congregation) 

Joel Siegelman, Worcester MA 

Frank Silberstein, University Park MD 

Jonathan Sinnott, Warren NJ 

Matthew Smith, New Brunswick NJ 

Pam Smith, Crofton MD (NOLSW, UAW Local 2320) 

Steve Sorkin, St. Louis MO 

Ms Rosalind Spigel, Bryn Mawr PA (Spigel Consulting) 

Matthew Stafford, Murfreesboro TN 

Ivan Steen, Albany NY 

Elliot Stephens, Mt. Clemens MI 

Andrew Stern, New York NY 

Ira Stern, Piscataway NJ 

Jennifer Stern, Newton MA 

Rabbi Jeffrey Stiffman, St. Louis MO 

Ms Miriam Szapiro, Takoma Park MD 

Ms Karen Szczepanski, Montclair NJ 

Dr. David Taylor, Flemington NJ 

Jamie Trinkle, Portland OR 

Ms Rosemary Trump, Pittsburgh PA 

Roz Sherman Voellinger, St. Louis MO 

Thomas Walsh, Cliffwood NJ (Local 262, RWDSU) 

Jeff Weintraub, Bryn Mawr PA 

Debbie White, Marlton NJ (President, Health Professionals and Allied Employees-HPAE) 

Charles Wilbanks, South Orange NJ (Council of School Supervisors and Administrators) 

Philip Yourish, East Orange NJ (Consultants for Nonprofits ) 

Ms Beth Zak-Cohen, Newark NJ 

Leonard Zeskind, Kansas City MO 

John Zuraw, Oak Park IL 

Bennet Zurofsky, Maplewood NJ

To learn more about how you can support Clara Maass Nurses’ fight for fair wages, safe staffing, and dignified working conditions, contact:

Bryn Lloyd-Bollard, Communications Director,1199SEIU, 732-606-594, bryn.lloydbollard@1199.org;

Tony Mendia, Political Coordinator,1199SEIU, 732-841-0295, tony.mendia@1199.org