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Anestine Bentick

Medical Assistant / South Boston Community Health System / Boston, MA

Anestine Bentick medical assistant“The first political action I took was to organize members at a nursing home,” says Anestine Bentick, a medical assistant at the South Boston Community Health System.  “We were not successful, but I learned that even though we are a democratic organization, many of my co-workers were very afraid to cast their vote in support of a Union.  They felt like they were back in Haiti under Duvalier; oppressed and alone.”

For Anestine, an 1199SEIU Member Political Organizer, that experience was very difficult, but life changing. “It’s not surprising to me that people are still afraid to join our Union given their own life experience, what is surprising is how willing others are to use that fear to control them and threaten their livelihoods.” 

Raised on the island of St. Vincent, Anestine knows how much courage and resilience it takes to make your way in a new country, and to sustain yourself and become a citizen.  Before settling in Dorchester, she lived in Montreal and New York, two cities she is still enthralled with to this day. 

A graduate of Camp Wellstone and a seasoned activist, Anestine joined the Member Political Action team recently and has been a key part of the team reaching out to members on the phones and during weekend and evening canvasses.

“I tell members to be politically involved because of your job security, your family and your neighborhoods,” she says. “Healthcare and politics go hand in hand.  As much time you spend working at your job in a nursing home or a hospital, the work of politics is continuing on Beacon Hill and in DC.  You can’t have one without the other.”

Anestine’s daughter attends many Union events and has watched the recent political debates very closely.  “I can see how she is learning to evaluate policy,” Anestine says. “She is forming her own opinions about what elected officials propose, especially regarding education. I’m very proud of her, and I know that developing this skill will be important to her in the future.”