POLITICS
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NEW YORK
cating for healthcare and supporting the labor movement. When Democrats gained the majority in the House and Senate in 2021, they enacted dramatic reductions in insulin prices to just $35 per month for Medicare recipients, won the right for Medicare to force drug companies to lower their prices and slashed the cost of insurance on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges. As a result of the latter, over 21.8 million Americans—a record high—were able to get affordable health insurance through the ACA.
NY Nursing Homes to Face ShortStaffing Fines Long-awaited enforcement action to force New York State nursing homes to improve staffing levels or face hefty fines, finally moved a step closer on December 28 when the state’s supreme court rejected legal arguments brought by employers. Concerted political action by 1199 nursing home members during the Invest in Quality Care campaign back in 2021 ushered in historic reforms to management responsibilities regarding staffing levels. New laws were passed requiring nursing home owners to employ enough staff to ensure a daily minimum of 3.5 hours of care for each facility resident. But employers argued that labor shortages made it impossible for them to comply with the law. The supreme court has now rejected their arguments and the ruling by Justice James Gilpatric clears the way for fines of up to $2,000-per-day to be levied against understaffed nursing homes. Justice Gilpatric sided with NYS officials
and described the nursing homes’ lawsuit as a misguided attempt to legislate through the courts, which ignores the crucial separation of powers in the New York Constitution. The judge also rejected arguments that the state staffing law should be struck down, noting that state officials have broad authority to pass laws seeking to protect citizens’ health, including at nursing homes.
New laws were passed requiring nursing home owners to employ enough staff to ensure a daily minimum of 3.5 hours of care for each facility resident. Nursing home members pressing for staffing legislation in 2021.
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Taking Back the House 1199ers work to get out the vote in New York Congressional District 3.
The national political showdown in November may still be many months away, but 1199 Weekend Warriors have already begun pounding the pavement to make sure voters understand why we need to elect representatives who will fight for working people in Washington, D.C. As this edition went to press, Tom Suozzi was fighting to replace the disgraced former U.S. Congressman George Santos in the Long Island district he vacated in a special election on Feb 13. The Union endorsed Suozzi in this bellwether race because he has proven himself to be a reliable ally over many decades on the issues that matter to working people. 1199 Home Care Delegate Lavern Barnett works at the All Metro agency and Rockville Skilled Nursing and Rehab on Long Island. “We want someone who is honest and for the people to represent us,” she says. “Suozzi has al-
ready showed the support we need on issues like preserving Medicaid. Everyone is deserving of quality care and emotional support regardless of their financial circumstances. But we know that people who rely on Medicaid for their care are often short-changed and given fewer hours than they need.” With extremist Republicans in Congress threatening deep cuts in funding for Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, the importance of flipping the House of Representatives back to Democratic control is clear. A Union of healthcare workers cannot allow anti-labor or anti-healthcare agendas to take hold. With several key districts in New York in play, the path to restoring Democrats to power runs right through 1199SEIU’s stronghold. Voting matters. We are in a crucial fight to protect our values and freedoms and to elect those who have a strong record of advo-
U.S. congressional candidate, Tom Suozzi, on the campaign trail with 1199 members.
“With the Republicans in Congress trying to abolish Medicare and Medicaid, we need representatives to fight for these programs that many of our hospitals are dependent upon to stay afloat. I work in the billing department, and I see firsthand the difference between payments from commercial insurers versus Medicare and Medicaid. For instance, an ER visit is likely to be reimbursed at $1,600 by a commercial plan compared with just $300 from Medicaid,” said Jeera Grissett, an 1199 Delegate and Senior Account Clerk at Jamaica Hospital in Queens. “As you get older you begin to see how decisions that are made today can affect you tomorrow. It is important that we have the right people in office to make sure that we don’t lose the Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid that so many working people rely upon. We certainly don’t need another George Santos in this district,” she added.
“As you get older, you begin to see how decisions that are made today can affect you tomorrow.” – Jeera Grissett, an 1199 Delegate and Senior Account Clerk at Jamaica Hospital, Queens 1199 Magazine
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