ALBANY – As Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo leads the state’s coronavirus response, state legislators are scrambling behind-the-scenes at the Capitol to curb potential fallout from the illness on businesses, elections and schools. Read More
A new coronavirus, COVID-19, has been identified as the cause of a cluster of severe pneumonia cases that emerged in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. Read More
From its inception, the leftwing founders of 1199 allied themselves with the struggle of African Americans for social and economic equality. The founding pharmacy workers, most of whom were Jewish, were themselves victims of discrimination. Due in part to the anti-Semitic quota system in medical schools, many Jews settled for the pharmacy profession. Read More
Delegates are 1199’s backbone. Without a force of specially trained, dedicated members in 1199-represented institutions, the union would not be able to negotiate and enforce contracts, grieve labor law violations and uphold our hard-won standards, benefits, and salaries—some of which are the best in the health and social service industry. Read More
As Puerto Rico recovers from a swarm of earthquakes that have crippled the island as it just beginning to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Maria, members of 1199’s Latino Caucus are mobilizing to send aid to the hobbled territory and raise awareness around the issues facing Puerto Rico and other Latin countries. Read More
When Lauren Malic was a little girl growing up in New Orleans, her dream was to become a nurse. Years later, she never lost sight of her dream, even after her family lost everything in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina ripped the roof off their home. They relocated to Florida, Malic enrolled in nursing school and got a job as a transporter at UHealth Tower in Miami. Read More
1199SEIU and the National Benefit Fund are again making available a free tax prep program for members, so they can pay only the taxes they owe and apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC is a tax refund for low to-moderate income families. Since its inception in 1999, the program has helped members in NYC alone file for $100 million dollars in tax refunds. Read More
Every day, local and national news outlets churn out stories about guns and gun violence across America. From big cities like Chicago and New York, to small towns in the Midwest and Southeast, there is no corner of the nation untouched by gun violence and the debate around gun rights. According to the Giffords Law Center, 100 Americans are killed with guns every day and over 1.2 million people have been shot in the last decade. Read More
In dire straits due to their financial mismanagement, for years The Lutheran Care Network (TLCN) operated their Delmar, NY facilities, Good Samaritan Nursing Home, and an assisted living facility, Kenwood Manor, on a shoestring budget. As the buildings deteriorated, the workers were continually challenged by short-staffing and diminished supplies. Making things worse, the employer paid the workers’ Health Benefit Fund only sporadically creating uncertainty for the caregivers whose benefits could end at any time. Read More
For many of us, it may seem that Medicaid has been a constant part of American society—providing a much-needed healthcare safety net for seniors as well as disabled and low income adults and children. Read More
The 2020 Census is fast approaching, and I can’t overstate the importance of your participation. Read More
Members at Baltimore’s St. Elizabeth Rehabilitation and Nursing Center ratified a strong contract in the summer of 2019, and they attribute their wins to wide member participation at bargaining. Read More
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is considered 1199SEIU’s North Star. And 1199ers have been celebrating the life of the man who called 1199 “my favorite union” since his untimely death in 1968 Read More
Months after Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas, residents in hard hit areas are still struggling to recover. Many were touched by this tragedy, including members of 1199SEIU Florida who have relatives and friends living in the Bahamas. But even those without direct ties still wanted to help the victims. So, members reached out to their coworkers to ask for donations and they were able to raise a significant amount of money. Read More
Unlike most countries—Canada, France, Japan, and Mexico, for example—where election campaigns only last a few weeks, our country’s campaigns seem to go on forever. It’s as if the next campaign begins the day after an election. It can be exhausting. But, sisters and brothers, in this election year of 2020, we cannot afford to become weary, bored, or disinterested. Read More
Florida CNA Catherine Jefferson buried her murdered son in December. New York Capital Region CNA Taneisha Addison is petrified of losing the health insurance in the bankruptcy and sale of her nursing home. And New York City Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor Danisha Marrero worries that looming Medicaid cuts will be fatal for some of her clients. Read More
Dozens of 1199SEIU Florida members recently turned Tallahassee purple for Senior Day, one of the most important public events this Legislative Session. Caravans of CNAs and other workers with 1199SEIU, the first labor union to be a community sponsor of the high-profile action, made their voices heard for seniors and their caregivers to lawmakers, news media and other key audiences.
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Healthcare workers at Tamarac Convalescent Center are declaring victory after ratifying their new contract. That’s because they secured a strong deal that will put more money in their pockets, an extra sick day and give longtime employees additional vacation time. Read More
An arbitrator has found that Consulate Health Care violated the contract bargaining agreement when it refused to reclassify PRN workers at Bay Breeze Senior Living and Rehabilitation Center when their work hours exceeded the contractually allotted amount. This decision is a huge victory for the hardworking CNAs and other permanent staff at Bay Breeze who joined together through their union, 1199SEIU Florida, to file a grievance concerning this issue. Read More