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BOSTON, MA – The state’s largest union of healthcare workers, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, issued the following statement in response to a ruling today by Superior Court Judge Janet L. Sanders that will prevent Partners HealthCare from acquiring three community hospitals including South Shore Hospital and the Hallmark Health System. Nearly 300 healthcare workers at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, operated by Hallmark, are members of 1199SEIU.

“As healthcare workers, we applaud this ruling as a critical step towards reigning in the growth of Partners HealthCare, an entity that for too long has used its position in the healthcare market to drive up healthcare costs for consumers and patients. Healthcare workers believe this is an important step towards protecting the role of community and safety net hospitals by countering the aggressive and unsustainable Partners business model of high costs for patients and low wages for many Partners employees.” - Jeff Hall, spokesperson, 1199SEIU

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Representing nearly 50,000 healthcare workers throughout Massachusetts and nearly 400,000 workers across the East Coast, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. Our mission is to achieve affordable, high quality healthcare for all. 1199SEIU is part of the 2.1 million member Service Employees International Union.

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