Arthur Wharton has worked at the hospital for nearly 18 years. He has continued to advance his career as a technologist and recently passed his Imaging Informatics Professional certification.

Q: Why are you happy to have a union?

A: “There are a lot of reasons. You are on an equal footing with management. You have job security. The benefits of going to school through the 1199SEIU Training and Upgrading Fund. Thanks to the TUF, I have been able to go back to school. The union allows the opportunity for workers and management to collaborate on solving problems.”

Q: What made you decide to become a PCA?

A: “I was already a certified nursing assistant and I liked taking care of people. I like establishing the relationship. Some of the consumers don’t have family members or have someone come by often. I like to get to know someone one-on-one. I like
the connection, that little bond.”

Downsizing. Floor closures. Service cuts. For too long, the community and safety net hospitals where so many 1199SEIU members work have been forced to struggle with the consequences of under-payments by public and private insurers in return for the quality care we provide.