The announcement of Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center’s closing was no surprise to many of its employees, including the hundreds of Blacks employed there. But finding a new job at the same pay has come as quite a shock. “I had no idea it was
“I may have to take a pay cut just to swing a mop.” Natlie Taylor, 47, has worked at Michael Reese for 24 years in various positions- including housekeeping for the last 15 years. She, too, is concerned about finding new employment that will pay her $14 an hour, her current hourly wage. “When I first started, I was making $7 an hour as a part-time cashier at the gift store and now I am fulltime with benefits and a livable wage,” she said.
“But I do not have any college education, I am not computer literate, so where the hell can I go to make $14 an hour?” Earlier this month officials at Michael Reese Hospital, 2929 S. Ellis Ave., which first opened its doors in 1881, announced that the hospital would be closing by yearend due to financial constraints health care providers nationwide are facing. Michael Reese Hospital officials had looked last year to move into the same building with Provident Hospital of Cook County.
A large portion of the South Side county health facility is being unused and Michael Reese had hoped to occupy the space. But the idea fell through after Michael Reese learned that it would have to operate under the auspices of the county and would, in effect, become a county health facility. According to Michael Reese Hospital, it employs over 1,000 people, of which 575 are doctors.
And while nurses, doctors and other employees with college degrees or professional training may be able to more easily find employment elsewhere, those without college education and training or those who work lower-level, blue collar positions will have a challenge finding new employment, said Sadie Kliner, a spokeswoman for the Service Employees International Union Healthcare, which represents 120 Michael Reese Hospital employees.
“The economy right now is not allowing employers to provide jobs at a competitive pay rate for those seeking entry-level positions especially blue collar work,” Kliner said.
“Furthermore, if the Michael Reese employees do find employment elsewhere it may not offer union representation or, as we like to call it, job security.” Sandra Wilkes, director for community relations and Enrique Beckman, M.D., CEO for Michael Reese Hospital, did not return Defender phone calls seeking comment. Middle age employees like clerical worker Jamie White, 54, are also concerned about finding other employment. Limited skills and education notwithstanding, for White, age is a factor.
“Who wants to hire an old woman with arthritis in both knees?” she said. “People always ask me why don’t I just retire. I tell them I can’t retire because I have only been here 10 years, not my whole life.” Employment specialists said age is just another obstacle for older employees like White.
“A lack of skills and experience and age are probably the two biggest barriers seniors face when looking for a job,” said Bob Harris, 47, a job coach for the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
“I help people put together resumes, cover letters and references. I also conduct an employment workshop to assist people in preparing and dressing for interviews. Even though employers are prohibited by federal law from discriminating against people due to their age, it happens everyday, said Andre Roberson, a Human Resources manager for the University of Chicago.
“Fast food restaurants are good about hiring seniors, but office work and blue collar jobs that require a lot of lifting or standing will not hire seniors because they fear they may hurt themselves or quit anyway once they see how much physical labor the job involves,” added Roberson. Keith Kelleher, president of SEIU, added that many of the Black employees at Michael Reese Hospital live in the South Side’s Bronzeville community, and their job loss will have a far reaching effect. “The closure will have a devastating impact on Bronzeville.
Working families depend on their neighborhood hospital for care,” he said. Terry Savage, an economist at Morgan Stanley, said anytime community residents lose their jobs, it will ultimately hurt local businesses, especially small businesses. “No job means not shopping, eating out at restaurants, buying clothes or even keeping a bank account open,” she said. “So the closing will have a domino effect causing havoc for everyone.
The best solution to a employer shutting down is to make sure its employees, particularly those that are hard to place, have somewhere to go afterwards besides the unemployment office.” Businesses being hurt by the closure are little comfort to Louis Snow, a materials management employee at Michael Reese.
“I have been working at Michael Reese for 30 years,” Snow said. “Standards and qualifications have changed since I was last job hunting. How are we supposed to compete? We need help if we’re going to make it.” Savage added that nearby Mercy Hospital and Medical Center would probably end up picking up most of the uninsured patients at Michael Reese, which will only put financial strain on them and possibly force them to shut down too.
“It’s just transferring the problem from one hospital to another. The bad part is that Mercy is located in Bronzeville so that community may be on the verge of losing two hospitals,” he added. City of Chicago officials confirmed that it is seeking to use the 37-acre site that Michael Reese Hospital now occupies as an Olympic village should the city be awarded the 2016 summer games.
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