In the many conversations that took place in breakrooms, at Delegate Assemblies, and during the Listening Tours, we mapped the threats and the opportunities facing 1199 members. These threats include the impact of the Republican’s “Big Ugly Bill,” which diverted $1 trillion in Medicaid funding to fund tax cuts for billionaires and expand ICE actions in our communities—resources that should be spent improving healthcare jobs and staffing in our institutions.

At the same time, we identified key opportunities: how we can organize hundreds of thousands of healthcare workers into 1199, tap into voter discontent and win back the House and Senate in this year’s mid-term elections. These opportunities will lay the groundwork to build our Union’s power in an incredible way and win the policy fights that will shape the future of health care.

After months of gathering input from members, our leadership team put together a comprehensive plan of work built on three main pillars: Build, Grow, and Thrive. This structure emerged as a clear way to align members’ vision, current challenges, and long-term ambitions into three essential domains.

First, Build.

We know that a union is only as strong as us, the members. So, we need vibrant, member-led chapters with a solid internal foundation. Members need access to union education, leadership development, and the tools to organize their coworkers and lead with confidence. This pillar is about growing our bench of delegates and activists, strengthening chapters and departments, and investing in systems that help us communicate and work together more effectively.

Second, Grow.

The bigger we are—the more healthcare workers we bring into our Union family—the more we can exercise power and raise standards across the healthcare industry. This pillar is about expanding the size of our membership, both in our current institutions and by organizing non-union workers into the 1199. This pillar encompasses our 2026 Membership Growth Drive, with a mission to sign up 20,000 of our co-workers who haven’t yet signed their Union cards.

Third, Thrive.

This is where it all comes together: creating the conditions for a future where healthcare workers and our families are not merely surviving, but truly thriving. This means centering member voices to define what thriving looks like to them, and then organizing our Union’s power to win it. This pillar is a recognition that what we do at 1199 isn’t just limited to negotiating contracts and handling grievances with employers, but also fighting for social and economic justice in the broadest sense.

In May, some two thousand rank-and-file leaders from every division gathered for a 3-day Leadership Summit to discuss and launch this plan of work. It was an extraordinary showing of how 1199 is operating as the energized, five-state powerhouse we truly are.

The next step is launching a Thrive survey. We want to hear exactly what thriving would look like for you and your family—at work, at home, and in your community. Your answers will help us define a new vision for healthcare workers and zero in on the inspiring, big picture, transformative fights we can uplift across our regions.

I am so excited to see how far we have come over the past twelve months and the incredible member-led work that is being accomplished. Together, we are ready to build, grow, and thrive—and ready to win the future that 1199 members and our families deserve.

“I am so excited to see how far we have come over the past twelve months and the incredible member-led work that is being accomplished. Together, we are ready to build, grow, and thrive—and ready to win the future that 1199 members and our families deserve.”