For Jacynth Stewart, political awareness was nurtured from a very early age. Growing up in Jamaica, Stewart recalls: “My parents used to take me to all their political meetings as a young child and I would sit on their lap and play pretend like I was voting,” the now retired 1199SEIU Delegate remembers, “I would put my finger in the ink and stamp it on a piece of paper.” Read More

Florida members have been celebrating both legislative and contract wins in the early part of this year, which were a long time coming. Read More

In a historic decision covering more than 100,000 current and former 1199SEIU home care members, a New York City arbitrator has ordered 42 agencies to fund a $32 million Special Wage Fund to compensate members for wages owed for sleep and meal interruptions on 24-hour cases and other wage violations. Read More

Whether they work in hospitals, detox clinics, nursing homes or even legal services organizations, 1199SEIU social workers perform an essential role in the health care system. By approaching patients and clients in a way that considers the whole community in which they live—not just immediate medical needs—social workers are vital to securing the best long-term health outcomes. Read More

With the death of Edward (Eddie) Kay on Feb. 15, the progressive movement lost one of its most celebrated organizers. Kay stepped down from his post of 1199 Executive Vice President in 1999, but continued non-stop activity as a union consultant, educator and organizing guru until his illness and death at age 89. Read More

Finding and holding onto an affordable place to live has never been easy, especially when rents are rising faster than wages in many U.S. cities. Read More

On February 17, in the driving rain on a dark night, 1199SEIU members held a candlelight vigil in front of Westchester Medical Center/ HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston, NY. Lindsey Bradford, a Cardiac Care Monitor, said it was time to shine the light on the risks to quality care caused by short staffing. Contract negotiations, aimed at helping to retain and recruit staff were going nowhere. Read More

As the 1199 Magazine was going to press, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she would finally lift the pause on nursing home legislation that 1199SEIU members had fought long and hard to get signed into law last year. Read More

The Women’s Caucus at the union pulled together an evening zoom event on March 4 to honor the strength and courage of their sisters. Read More

Massachusetts members voted overwhelmingly to ratify new four-year contracts in February with Cape Cod Healthcare institutions, which will include a minimum of 10 percent wage growth over the life of the agreement. Read More

Damian Rivera, an1199 Delegate and CNA at Complete Care at Marcella Center in Burlington Twp., was fired without just cause the day after he and his co-workers attempted to bring health and safety concerns to management. Read More

Massachusetts members welcomed new home care members into their ranks, when 400 workers from 10 Elara Caring sites voted to join 1199SEIU in mid-March. These new members joined nearly 2,500 Elara members across MA and New York. Read More

1199SEIU home care members and their community allies across New York State were celebrating a victory in early April when Governor Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins announced that provision for a permanent pay increase would be included in the state budget . Read More

In 2011, Occupy Wall Street shook up the established political order by sharply raising the question of income and wealth inequality. “We are the 99 percent!” was the battle cry, introducing the idea that an economy dominated by billionaires while most Americans are living hand-to-mouth cannot be considered a just society Read More

Whenever 1199ers go to bat, whether it be against an employer who is testing our resolve, or to demand that our elected representatives to do what’s right for working people, we always do our homework first. Read More

For decades, 1199SEIU has staunchly opposed war across the globe, and has proudly committed resources to supporting victims of state violence and persecution. The world must come together to provide concrete support for the millions of displaced people in Ukraine. Read More

Rochester, NY - Due to unforeseen circumstances, the informational picket scheduled for Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at Anthony Jordan Health Care Center has been postponed until further notice. Read More

More than 50 healthcare workers at Anthony L. Jordan Health Center will hold an informational picket on Wednesday, April 13 to demand better wages that will help to recruit and retain workers. Their 1-year union contract originally expired on December 31, 2021, but had been extended until March 30, 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers are represented by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. Read More

“It’s dangerous, sad and short-sighted that HB 1239, which drastically cuts staffing and care standards in Florida nursing homes, has been signed into law. This bill, written by the for-profit nursing home industry, puts our most vulnerable and elderly senior citizens at even great risk. Read More

“This budget makes significant investments to protect the wellbeing of New Yorkers, notably a meaningful pay raise for frontline homecare workers and increased funding for safety net hospitals. These priorities are necessary to strengthening a healthcare system and caregiver workforce that has been stretched to its limit in recent years. We applaud and congratulate Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Governor Hochul for their leadership in passing a budget that directly challenges New York’s health inequities by investing in care for our state’s most vulnerable people.” Read More