Protesters snarled rush-hour traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge yesterday during a march aimed at saving Long Island College Hospital, the beleaguered Cobble Hill medical center that’s on the brink of closure.
The march shut down the bridge for 20 minutes at around 5 p.m. Ten protesters, including Councilman Brad Lander, were arrested.
While there’s a court order barring SUNY Downstate, the hospital’s operator, from laying off employees, LICH told hundreds of workers yesterday not to report to work anymore.
About 650 employees were put on “paid administrative leave,” so they’re technically not layoff victims, according to a hospital spokesman.
Employees were caught off guard by the news.
“They’re crying. They’re upset because they got laid off!” said Michael Dulski, 40, a housekeeping worker.