Our newly elected leadership is hitting the road to listen, learn, and lead together.

A New Chapter Built on Listening

Our union is entering a new era grounded in listening, honesty, and renewal. After being elected this spring on a pledge to restore trans-parency, accountability, and mem-ber power, President Yvonne Arm-strong and Secretary-Treasurer Veronica Turner-Biggs are keeping that promise by listening first.

In August, they launched a Unionwide Listening Tour across every 1199 region, meeting direct-ly with Delegates and members to hear unfiltered feedback about what is working, what is not, and how we rebuild stronger.

The insights gathered on the road will shape a unionwide plan of work, a roadmap for the next chap-ter of our union that Delegates will vote to ratify early next year.

Florida: Where It Began

Armstrong traveled to Florida first and Turner-Biggs participated virtually. As a so-called “right-to-work” state, Florida presents steep challenges: no mandatory dues, limited labor protections, and con-stant anti-union pressure. Yet the passion and commitment of mem-bers there was undeniable.

“It’s important that we speak up and stand together,” said Vir-ginia Kondas, a new Delegate and Advanced Practice RN at UHealth Tower in Miami. “Connecting face-to-face made this tour even more productive. We’re stronger when we share ideas.”
Florida members expressed pride in their resilience but also called for deeper support from our union in organizing, communication, and education. Armstrong and Turn-er-Biggs listened closely and com-mitted to bring those lessons back to strengthen our work everywhere.

From Niagara to Boston: Members Speak Out

Across the regions, members spoke with honesty and courage about the challenges they face and the solutions they want to build.

At the Schoellkopf Health Center in Niagara Falls, LPN Early Pugh summed up the feeling in the room: “It’s unprecedented to have top union leaders visit our nursing home. In all my 29 years, we’ve nev-er had that. It means everything.”

In Rochester, Delegates shared hard-fought victories from recent contract campaigns and called for more consistency in grievance handling.

In Boston, Anastine Bentick-Al-leyne, a longtime Delegate from South Boston Community Health Center, spoke about the growing fear facing immigrant families and the strain of Medicaid cuts: “Our families are having to choose be-tween rent, food, and a doctor’s visit. This can’t continue. We have to fight back together.”

Her words echoed a common message across the tour: our union must do more than defend what we have. We must lead the fight for justice, in our workplaces, in our com-munities, and across the country.

From Critique to Commitment

At every stop, members raised tough but necessary questions about how our union communi-cates, enforces contracts, and han-dles grievances and arbitration.

On Long Island, Ryan Kunjbe-har, a pharmacist at St. John’s Epis-copal Hospital, drew applause when he said: “Members deserve a clear, transparent way to track our griev-ance appeals. We can’t wait years only to find out there’s no record.”

Secretary-Treasurer Turn-er-Biggs agreed and announced that a digital grievance-tracking system is already in development as part of a broader effort to make our union more transparent and accountable.

These conversations, some-times challenging but always pas-sionate, are shaping real change and reaffirming that our union is strongest when every member’s voice is heard.

Building a Stronger Union Together

With more than 200,000 members heading into contract negotiations across 167 institutions next year, and national politics in upheaval, Armstrong and Turner-Biggs are clear-eyed about the road ahead.

“Member leadership is more important than ever,” said Turn-er-Biggs. “Our power comes from our collective strength, and we must be prepared to show it.”

President Armstrong added that the Listening Tour is only the beginning:
“We’re not just hearing con-cerns; we’re building the next chapter of our union, shaped by the members themselves.”

Honoring Our Legacy, Inspiring the Future

In the Bronx, Diane McClery- Nichols, who has served Montefiore Moses for nearly three decades, re-minded her fellow Delegates of the roots of our union’s power:

“When I came into 1199, Dele-gates ran the shop. We have to get back to that, teaching the young people where our strength comes from. Each one, teach one.”

That spirit of mentorship, solidarity, and love for our union has carried through every stop of the tour.

“Instead of waiting for some-one to set the example, each one of us must try to be the example,” said Sonja Dixon, CASAC at St. John’s Riverside in Yonkers.

From Florida to Massachusetts, from nursing homes to hospitals to home care, members are reclaim-ing their voice and ownership of our union’s future.

As the Listening Tour continues through New Jersey, Hudson Vally/Capital region, Maryland, Washington, DC, and Home Care in the months ahead, one thing is clear: this is not just a listening tour, this is the first step in rebuilding our movement.

1199SEIU’s strength has always come from our members. Now, guided by our voices and our unity, we are charting a bold, transparent, and accountable path forward together.