Those in power in Washington, DC, who are pushing an anti-worker/pro-billionaire agenda are counting on our silence and inaction to allow their plans to succeed.

Moments of crisis demand creative and bold new ways of thinking. If circumstances aren’t moving in the right direction—and let’s be honest, life has been getting harder, not easier, for us as healthcare workers—we can’t carry on with the same old routine. Today, we are barreling towards massive federal cuts to Medicaid, and we must act quickly to defend our jobs and the care we provide. To succeed, we must listen to, uplift, and activate our greatest strength: our 450,000 members. Members’ leadership and activism is the source of 1199’s power. It is with this clear recogni- tion and mandate that I was elected to serve as your President, and the guiding principle by which we are carrying our work forward.

As this magazine edition goes to print, the federal government is shut down. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been furloughed and critical services are at a standstill. Trump and Re- publican leaders manufactured a crisis—essentially holding the na- tion hostage—in an attempt to ram through over $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, end Affordable Care Act subsidies that 22 million Americans depend on, and cut $200 billion from SNAP food assistance, all so they can deliver massive tax cuts to billionaires and corporations.

The “Big, Ugly Bill,” as we call it, is the most direct attack on health care and healthcare workers that we’ve seen in decades. Medicaid is the sin- gle most important source of health- care funding in the US, and this Republican budget makes the largest cuts to the program ever. There is not a single hospital, nursing home, homecare agency, or community clinic in the country which will be immune to these awful cuts.

Ultimately, these circumstances mean that we, as 1199 members, are in the fight of our lives to protect our livelihoods and our patients. Layoffs and facility closures are very real threats; some employers have even notified the union that they are struggling to make payroll. I say this not to alarm you, but to underscore the urgency of this moment and how our unity and collective efforts in response to these attacks are more vital than ever.

Our unionwide Listening Tour is in full swing, and as I’ve met with members, toured worksites, heard your stories and struggles, and gathered your insights, I am more inspired and determined than ever. Through these conversations, we are creating a unionwide plan of work grounded in your priorities, experiences, and vision for the future. It will reflect the real challenges you face every day on the job, to fix what’s broken, protect what’s work- ing, and ensure that members have the tools and support needed to take big action for the fights ahead.

Those in power in Washington, DC, who are pushing an anti-worker/ pro-billionaire agenda are counting on our silence and inaction to allow their plans to succeed. But that is not who we are. 1199ers never shy away from a fight, and we are marshaling every resource at our disposal to push back, mobilizing in the streets, de- manding courageous leadership from our elected officials, and getting out the vote in huge numbers this Elec- tion Day, November 4.

We know that the union is not a service. It is not a building. It is not an insurance policy. The union is us—all of us—working together, arm in arm, as people with shared inter- ests and using our collective power to win a better future. I know that 1199 members are the leaders this moment calls for, and just as gen- erations of 1199ers before us stood up and made history, so too will we prove that our solidarity can overcome any obstacle put before us.