Thousands of 1199SEIU members in New York City work side-by-side with New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) members every day. As this edition was going to press, NYSNA members had been on strike for 14 days over safe staffing and fair working conditions.

Elvira Solis, an 1199 RN at Mount Sinai Queens, joined the picket line at the Mount Sinai main campus, along with fellow RNs Ludi Ramos and Judea Tan on their day off. Solis said: “It was important for us to stand in solidarity with NYSNA. No cold weather could freeze our mutual commitment to safe patient care.”

1199SEIU voted to contribute to the NYSNA strike fund on January 16, and President Yvonne Armstrong issued a public statement saying: “More than ever, we need stability in our healthcare system, which means investing in the type of good healthcare jobs which are fundamental to the wellbeing of caregivers and the communities they serve.

“It is vital that nurses’ voices are heard so they can continue to uphold the quality care that New Yorkers depend on.”

On January 15, Adekemi Gray, 1199SEIU Executive Vice President for the Mount Sinai division, walked the line in solidarity with NYSNA members at the Mount Sinai hospital main campus in East Harlem. He said: “Every single day, 1199 members who are nursing assistants, PCAs, surgical techs, dietary workers, occupational therapists, respiratory therapists, speech therapists, housekeepers, unit clerks, medical assistants and EMTs, we stand on the front lines. We deliver care. We save lives. And we stand shoulder to shoulder with NYSNA nurses.

“We all know the truth: the healthcare system is under attack, as Trump and Republican leaders in Washington, D.C. try to undermine bedside care and roll back workers’ rights. New York must be a firewall. We must stand against those threats.”