Today was my last day as an employee at one of NYC’s public hospitals. You probably remember that a few days ago the Daily News told you that the president of these hospitals, Alan Aviles, makes $360,000 a year. Alan Aviles also gets a $7,000 a year car allowance; and he got a 20 percent raise in the same month that the public hospitals began to lay off ten percent of its workers.

I went upstairs to the Human Resources department at Metropolitan Hospital, which is one of the hospitals in the public system, to request to cash out my earned annual leave. I’d been there three years and one month. Human Resources is on the top floor of Metropolitan Hospital, has a great view of Rikers and the East River. The worker behind the plexiglass window asked me if I wanted to come pick up the check or have it mailed to me. I asked for them to mail it.

He said, “for us to mail it, you have to bring me a 44 cents stamp.”

Is it that Mr. Aviles can’t spare it, I asked.

This is what the worker added: “You also have to bring us the envelope.”

Liked it? Take a second to support Diane Pagen on Patreon!
Become a patron at Patreon!