Want to Join 1199?

Do you want to join the 1199 family?

Since 1932, 1199 members have been on the front lines of the struggle for the rights and dignity of working people. Driven by the mission to win fair wages, better working conditions, and a just society, 1199ers have proudly stood squarely at the intersection of the labor and social justice movements.

Our Union was started by a group of Jewish pharmacists and spent its earliest days organizing neighborhood drugstores in New York City. Over the years we have expanded to organizing workers in hospitals, homecare agencies, nursing homes, community clinics, and more, but we have never strayed from our mission of advocating for society’s most vulnerable and building a country where working families thrive. Now, as then, 1199ers believe that every person––no matter what color you are, where you are from, who you love, or how you worship––deserves their shot at the American Dream.

Today’s 1199SEIU is over 450,000 members strong, representing workers in every sector of healthcare and human services, up and down the East Coast. 1199ers are organizing, building a stronger Union, and ensuring opportunities for more and more workers as our healthcare system evolves. In communities large and small, 1199ers are some of the strongest voices in the struggle to build a better America for working all people.

In recent years, 1199ers have helped make historic gains throughout our regions; improved healthcare funding, a $15 minimum wage, paid family leave, and nursing home staffing reforms are just some of the advances propelled by the power of 1199 members. During the COVID-19 crisis while serving on the front lines of the pandemic, 1199SEIU members have aided in vaccine rollout programs, fought for the availability of lifesaving personal protective equipment (PPE), and won crisis pay to recognize the heroic contributions of healthcare workers.

At the bargaining table, 1199ers are negotiating strong contracts to ensure a voice at work, fair pay, good benefits, educational opportunities, and more. Every day, 1199SEIU members demonstrate that united workers have the power to improve our lives in very real ways. Whether it’s a bigger paycheck or healthcare coverage for our children, 1199ers victories are the foundation of a just society where every child can look with hope into the future.

Fill out the form to become part of this movement. Together, we’ll build a country and a future that works for us all.