New dietary department managers at University of Miami Hospital were welcomed to the UMH team recently by member leaders of 1199SEIU Florida. Aramark, a food services and facilities management company that works with healthcare institutions, has been contracted by UMH to run the dietary department and cafeteria with UMH dietary workers.



Amparo Miyares, a longtime 1199SEIU leader in the dietary department who has worked at the hospital for more than 40 years, delivered a letter with her co-workers to the new Aramark managers welcoming them to the team.



“We are proud members of the UMH team who have developed a strong partnership with management and we look forward to continuing that relationship with Aramark,” said the letter, signed by more than 25 UMH dietary workers. “Together, with UMH management, we have built a strong labor-management partnership that values the voices and ideas of frontline healthcare workers. We look forward to building upon the improvements to patient care and our work environment with you that we’ve already achieved with UMH management.”



1199SEIU members also expressed their eagerness to work together following the approval of a new union contract.



“By working together, 1199SEIU, UMH management and Aramark can realize our shared vision of making UMH a world-class, university teaching hospital,” read the last line of the letter.



Aramark management was pleased to receive a warm welcome and assured the UMH workers that they look forward to open communication regarding any changes in the department. The workers were also informed that this change in management would not change their employment status with UMH.