CSEA A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility Unit President Robert Harris tells attendees how honored he is to be at the ceremony and to have worked alongside such courageous individuals.s
EAST MEADOW — CSEA workers at Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) and the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility have been playing a critical role in helping Long Island fight through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sadly, several of our union brothers and sisters from the two facilities are among the Americans who have died due to complications from the virus. As this edition went to press, more than 247,000 people have died from COVID-19, including more than 33,000 in New York state alone.
CSEA Nassau County Local President Ron Gurrieri listens to tributes to CSEA members who have passed away from COVID-19.
To pay tribute to the workers, NUMC held a memorial service in the same area where the hospital plans to build a memorial in honor of the workers.
Representatives from the families of the deceased; CSEA members, including CSEA Nassau Local 830 President Ron Gurrieri and other hospital staff and administrators attended the event.
CSEA Long Island Region President Jerry Laricchiuta, CSEA NUMC Unit President Lynne Kramer and CSEA A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility Unit President Robert Harris spoke at the gathering.
In their speeches, all three commended the deceased hospital workers for their strength and promised to do all they could to make sure their sacrifices would not be forgotten.
CSEA A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility Unit President Robert Harris, CSEA Long Island Region President Jerry Laricchiuta and CSEA NUMC Unit President Lynne Kramer listen as the names of the workers who passed away from COVID-19 are read.
“The new memorial site will be a place for families to come together to reflect and honor the great service that their loved ones gave to our communities,” Kramer said. “Having to go to a cemetery can be upsetting.
This memorial site provides an alternative to that. It was truly an honor to work beside every single member we’re honoring.”
“I feel that this memorial was well earned, not only for the families of those frontline heroes who sacrificed so much, but also for the staff that worked alongside them,” Harris said. “The dedication of a memorial plaque and a garden in honor of their contributions will help the memory of their sacrifices live on.”
CSEA will continue to document the experiences of our frontline workers. We thank you for your contributions and honor the memories of those we lost.
— Wendi Bowie
To read tributes to the CSEA members around the state
who passed away due to COVID-19 complications, visit
https://cseany.org/member-tributes.
Top photo: Nassau University Medical Center President/Chief Executive Office Dr. Anthony Boutin calls the families of the staff members who passed away from COVID-19 to stand beside him so they would be properly recognized.
