A New London Christmas Story

This is the time of year when Holiday TV programs dominate the airways.
We have our own Holiday stories in New London as reported by Judy Benson in The Day .

L+M Corporation Locked Out the nurses and techs, threatening to arrest them if they set foot on the property of their community hospital.

The Locked out nurses and techs of L+M Hospital are in need of many things.
Having lost their insurance, some have family members getting chemo, dialysis or other expensive treatments, so they need help to pay for COBRA.
Having lost their paychecks, some are in need of mortgage and rent assistance.
With the cold temperatures, heating is an issue.
And there will be less presents this Christmas, but every child deserves something.

The community has stepped forward.
The hardship fund collected $20,000 in the first 24 hours and continues to collect, the United Way is helping in many, many ways, the Teamsters have donated turkeys, the ULA has committed toys, the Building Trades and the Elks have provided meals, cars stop at the picket line and drop off food and hot coffee, and there is so much more.
On Tuesday, Santa will arrive at the picket line, in a fire truck provided by the New London Fire Department.

At the same time, these same nurses and techs are helping others!
This is one such example.

For the last four years, the staff of the neurology unit (union and nonunion, managers and staff) have adopted a needy family in the area each Christmas.  With half the employees forbidden entry into the hospital, unable to use their hospital email, and facing financial hardship themselves, the program was is jeopardy this year. At first, the Locked Out workers thought about trying to complete the project themselves, but they felt that didn't keep to the spirit of what they were doing. Through Facebook, they were able to connect to the people inside, and yesterday, they delivered the gifts to the Elks, who will distribute them to the family.

Why?
Because, just like the people who have reached out to help them, these care givers are bound by ethical principles that we are one family, responsible for each other.

The caregivers of L+M Hospital (union and nonunion) understand this Spirit of Christmas, they live it every day, throughout the year.
The community of New London and the people who have sent help from all over the country understand, they have proven it.
If the administration of L+M Corporation understood this, we wouldn't have the situation we are in.