POTSDAM -- Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and professional/technical workers, members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East will picket today at the E.J. Noble Clinic.

Workers say they deserve a contract that includes fair raises, without sacrificing other benefits they have earned over many years.

Picketers will be joined by Congressional Candidate Colonel Mike Derrick and other community allies.

Contract talks began in April, but fell apart when the hospital presented their “last, best, and final offer” in September forcing caregivers to vote on the current proposal.

Canton-Potsdam Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area.

A statement from the union said that when healthcare wages and benefits are reduced it becomes harder to recruit and maintain the most qualified staff, which they say impacts the quality of care.

“The hospital is growing in all areas but they are refusing to recognize the hardworking and dedicated employees that have enabled CPH to grow and expand,” said Nancy Guyette, Onocology Pharmacy Tech at Canton-Postdam Hospital for 14 years.

There are 136 healthcare workers in the 1199 LPN/Tech bargaining unit. They work as LPNs, Surgical Techs, Lab Techs, Respiratory Therapists, MRI Techs, CT Techs, Nuclear Med Techs, and more.