What the new leadership approach will look like for members.
4 Lobbying Lawmakers Massachusetts members visit their representatives in Boston.
5 The President’s Column
The newly elected President sets out her vision for the future.
9 NYC Mayor Endorsement
A member screening committee interviewed the top six candidates in the upcoming primary.
10 Fighting Care Cuts
Member action has helped to shore up vital funding for New York State, but national cuts still threaten these gains.
12 The Work We Do Medical Interpreters at Jamaica Hospital.
19 Upstate Members Strike Deal Strategies for dealing with anxiety are more important than ever.
20 The Talking Cure Strategies for dealing with anxiety are more important than ever.
Cover: Every three years 1199SEIU members and staff vote to elect the Union’s Delegates, Executive Council members, Organizers and Officers. When the ballots were counted in early May, following a historic level of participation, a new slate was elected.
As this edition went to press, the swearing in ceremony for the newly elected representatives was being planned. There will be full coverage of this event in the July/August edition. Visit 1199seiu.org for full details of the election results.
Illustration by Regina Heimbruch
@1199seiu www.1199seiu.org
6 Around the Regions
Miami Members Launch Jobs Committee; Members Rally in Solidarity with Detained Farm Workers; EMS Workers Join 1199; Upstate Members Win 28% Increase; Washington D.C. Hospital Closure.
16 Nurses of Distinction
An annual celebration of the vital work of 1199 RNs.
18 Boost for Bronx Nurses 1199 RNs at St Barnabas will benefit from a $5 million subsidy for training.
22 Members Influence Identifying and supporting the NYC Mayoral candidate who will do most for working people has long been a role for 1199ers.
Introducing 1199SEIU President Yvonne Armstrong
Forging a fresh path for our Union from the
ground up.
Question: What are your core values?
Answer: I believe in people. I believe in our members. There’s no force more powerful than working people who understand their worth and fight together.
In my nearly 50 years of service, I think about all of those I have walked alongside on picket lines or sat next to at bargaining tables. We have fought through many tough battles together and it was always with a deep belief in fairness, in doing the right thing, and lifting each other up.
Question: What are the biggest challenges facing our Union today?
Answer: We’ve got some serious fights ahead. Medicaid is on the chopping block, and the folks pushing those cuts couldn’t care less about the people we care for— or the jobs our families depend on.
This isn’t just about numbers on a budget—it’s about real lives. It’s about kids, seniors, and working families who could lose access to care. But 1199 has never backed down from a fight. And we’re not going to start now.
Question: How do you plan to transform 1199 to meet these challenges?
Answer: First, we must get our own house in order. A full audit of our finances is underway so we can make sure every dollar is working for you, our members – not wasted, not hidden, but used to build power where it counts.
Then we go big. We organize. We fight for stronger contracts. We stand up in Albany, in D.C., and anywhere else decisions are being made about our jobs and our future. We’ve got to be bold. We’ve got to be loud. And we’ve got to lead—not follow.
Question: What is your leadership style?
Real change doesn’t happen from the top down. It happens from the ground up. And that’s how we’re going to rebuild this union—together.
Answer: Building Union power in the shops takes humility. It takes courage. It takes showing up with your full self – even when it is hard, even when it is uncomfortable. First and foremost, we must center care—not just as a job, but as a calling that deserves investment, respect and protection.
Question: How will you re-engage the whole membership in the mission?
Answer: Members voted for change. Loud and clear. So, we’re going to start by listening.
This summer, we’re hitting the road for a listening tour. I want to hear directly from members— what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to change. Not just from the same few voices—but from folks in every region, every division, every kind of shop.
Real change doesn’t happen from the top down. It happens from the ground up. And that’s how we’re going to rebuild this union— together.
We do not take this mission lightly. The future of healthcare is at stake. The future of the labor movement is at stake. But because of the membership of this great Union— the love, the strength and the fight that lives here—we are going to win.
Regina Heimbruch
Lobbying Lawmakers
Massachusetts members press their elected representatives in Boston.
Nearly 300 members came together on May 14 for 1199’s annual healthcare and homecare advocacy day in Boston, Massachusetts. Advocacy day allows caregivers from all sectors to share their stories with legislators and press for policy changes that benefit working people.
This year the members’ focus was on extending the ban on mandatory overtime to the entire care team; requiring hospitals to address workplace violence; establishing an immigrant legal defense fund; creating a labor peace agreement for homecare; and making multinational corporations pay their fair share in taxes.
With looming cuts to Medicaid, unjust deportations of immigrants, and a worsening healthcare workforce shortage, the event was timed to amplify solutions that invest in care and protect the communities where 1199ers live and work.
“We are all immigrants to this country,” said Rose Pierre, a CNA from Blue Hills Nursing Home in Stoughton, MA. “This is not about Haitians or Dominicans, it’s about all of us feeling safe. We need the Governor and legislature to protect all residents and fight back against these attacks,” she added, when delivering a letter to Governor Healey’s office.
Massachusetts members inside their State House in Boston (top) and on the front steps (bottom).
For some 1199ers, this was their first visit to the Massachusetts State House and an opportunity to make their voices heard about how their ability to deliver quality healthcare is affected by government policies.
“Right now, they are trying to cut Medicaid at the federal level. I’ve been here in Boston for seven years, I’m from Florida. I came
“We are all immigrants to this country. This is not about Haitians or Dominicans, it’s about all of us feeling safe. We need the Governor and legislature to protect all residents and fight back against these attacks.”
– Rose Pierre, a CNA at Blue Hills Nursing Home, in Stoughton, MA.
here because I’m trans and I want to be myself,” Xenia Garcia, a bilingual outreach navigator at the Fenway Health clinic in Boston, told lawmakers.
“But I don’t feel like I’m part of Boston anymore since I graduated college,” she added. “Boston doesn’t want me because I’m not a high earner. Our patients are not able to get all the healthcare they need because they are either on MassHealth [Medicaid] or are unable to qualify and are left without insurance.
“I’m on MassHealth, too. If these Medicaid cuts go through, I won’t be able to get the hormones I need and I won’t be legally recognized as a trans person. As elected representatives, you have power and influence. Use it.”
Ready to Lead, Ready to Fight!
Our newly-elected President sets out her vision for her first 100 days.
It is an honor to write this column as your newly-elected President. I am humbled that you—dear members of 1199SEIU—have entrusted me with the great responsibility to lead our union at a time of major challenges to healthcare, and with big fights ahead to defend our jobs, families, patients, and communities. Members participated in our election in historic numbers. You spoke out, clearly and decisively, for a new era focused on unity, transparency, and putting members first. You recognized how fresh ideas are needed to bring renewed energy and a greater sense of shared responsibility and decisionmaking to our organization. This election was a celebration of your power as rank-and-file members to choose the direction of 1199.
As a Union, I know that our strength lies in the collective and in the wisdom of many voices. It is vital that every member—across each region, institution, and job title—feel real ownership in 1199. This is, after all, your union, and every elected officer, staff member, and myself as President, work for you
This is why we are hitting the ground running in these first 100 days. As part of our leadership team’s plan to align 1199’s priorities with the most pressing needs and concerns of the membership, I, alongside Secretary-Treasurer Veronica Turner-Biggs and the Executive Vice Presidents, will be hosting listening tours in each region
to hear directly from you about what matters most. I greatly look forward to receiving your input on how 1199 can best represent and support you and your co-workers on a daily basis.
At the same time, we are committing ourselves 100% to the national fightback against threats to healthcare and to our communities broadly. As this issue goes to print, more than $717 billion in Medicaid and Affordable Care Act cuts are on the table in Washington, DC, which would amount to the largest gutting of healthcare funding in US history. It would impact jobs and care across the healthcare spectrum, from hospitals to nursing homes, homecare to outpatient clinics, and everywhere in between. As frontline healthcare workers, you know better than anyone how funding cuts harm patient care. Your voices are paramount in this struggle.
We need more staffing in our institutions, not less. We need higher wages and better benefits to strengthen the healthcare workforce of today and tomorrow. And we need real health equity in this country—where the zip code you live in, the color of your skin, your gender identity, your disability status, or any other characteristic does not determine your ability to access quality care.
Every day, we are witnessing how the Trump administration is seeking to erase decades of progress, taking away our rights and restricting our freedoms. Immigrants are facing especially
As a Union, I know that our strength lies in the collective and in the wisdom of many voices. It is vital that every member—across each region, institution, and job title—feel real ownership in 1199.
intense attacks, including within our own SEIU family. Fellow SEIU members, including Rumeysa Öztürk from SEIU Local 509 in Massachusetts and Lewelyn Dixon from SEIU Local 925 in Washington are immigrant workers who were recently swept up by ICE and detained without due process. Our collective action has now resulted in both of them being freed. We need to savor those victories and use them to fuel the many fights ahead..
So much is at stake for the future of our country. But no one is better prepared than 1199 to take on these challenges and organize, mobilize, and resist. With 1199 members at the helm of a reinvigorated movement and a union laser-focused on acting with collective decision-making and solidarity, I’m confident that we can succeed like never before. I look forward to leading alongside you, shoulder-to-shoulder and arm-in-arm. Let’s get to work.
The President’s Column
Yvonne Armstrong
Around the Regions
Miami Members Launch Jobs Committee
1199ers at UHealth Tower, formerly known as University of Miami Hospital, officially launched their Jobs Committee in May, after it was established in their most recent contract.
The committee, which is comprised of a dozen union members, union staff and
management, is addressing retention, wage compression, and hiring practices.
“It’s exciting to be a part of this new venture at UHealth Tower,” said Cynthia Saget, RN Case Manager. “The Jobs Committee provides a great opportunity for employees to have a seat at the
“The Jobs Committee provides a great opportunity for employees to have a seat at the table with management to ensure the hospital is implementing and adhering to policies that promote equity and fairness”
– Cynthia Saget, RN Case Manager
Cynthia Saget, RN Case Manager.
table with management to ensure the hospital is implementing and adhering to policies that promote equity and fairness.”
Members of the Jobs Committee will review and analyze items such as turn-over rates, use of agency employees, how positions get filled, how employees get promoted, and career tiers for employees to earn more in their current role.
“I think our first meeting was productive. We established a good working relationship and created an agenda that we feel addresses key issues like wage equity and hiring and other important policies. I am optimistic we can make positive changes at our hospital by working together in this committee,” said Patient Transporter Bruno Landaetta.
“During contract negotiations, our bargaining committee made it clear that the Jobs Committee was a priority for our new contract. UHealth Tower management has been receptive and supportive. That’s one of the many benefits of having a union and utilizing interest-based bargaining where both sides share a goal of working together amicably to negotiate a new contract,” said RN Elizabeth Jazon.
Members Rally in Solidarity with Detained Farm Workers
1199ers gathered in solidarity with United Farm Workers (UFW) and community allies who were rallying on May 19 in Brooklyn to demand the release of 14 UFW worker leaders detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The farm workers were on a work bus on their way to LynneEtte & Sons Inc in Kent, Upstate NY, on May 2. Workers told the UFW they didn’t see an arrest warrant from ICE, but a company representative let ICE on the bus regardless. The workers were then taken off the bus, shackled and driven off in unmarked vans. The UFW had been working to organize with the same workers who are being detained.
Gabriella Szpunt of the UFW said that an entire family was swept up in the raid
including a father who was separated from his infant child.
“These workers just want to be able to survive and support their families. The work that they do is very grueling. They are on their knees most of the day, cutting cabbage. Even during COVID, they were the only people that were working. They just want to have dignity on the job and they shouldn’t have to fear being deported,” added Szpunt.
At the rally, she called on U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to use their authority as elected officials to exert pressure on the Department of Homeland Security to release the detained farm workers.
“These workers just want to be able to survive and support their families. The work that they do is very grueling.”
– Gabriella Szpunt
EMS Workers Join 1199
Workers at Citywide Mobile Response have come together to form a union with 1199SEIU, joining over 3,000 first responders from across New York State, who are already represented.
Their campaign started in late January when Citywide workers began gathering signatures to request an election with the National Labor Relations Board. More than half of the 200-strong workforce signed the petitions and those in favor of 1199 prevailed by 116 to 14 when the votes were tallied on March 6.
“Real heroes don’t wear capes,” said Felix Rivera, an EMT and Bronx-based worker leader during the organizing drive.
1199ers turn out in solidarity with detained farm workers.
Felix Rivera, a Citywide EMT and Bronx-based worker leader.
NEW YORK
NEW JERSEY
Around the Regions
Upstate Members Win 28% Increase
1199 Nursing home members at Schoellkopf Health Center in Niagara Falls, Upstate New York, ratified a new agreement in early May, which included average wage increases of up to 28 per cent over the three-year contract.
“Schoellkopf once again is leading the way and setting the standard for what health care should be— compassionate, committed, and fair,” said Earl Pugh, an 1199 Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) adding, “This new contract is a meaningful step forward. It reflects not only fairness and respect for the important work we do, but it will help attract new talent who recognize the value placed on staff here. As a nurse, I already feel a noticeable boost in morale. It’s deeply encouraging to know that our hard work is being acknowledged and rewarded.”
Tina Black, another 1199 LPN, said: “This agreement represents a shared commitment to fair treatment, mutual respect and the pursuit of equitable working conditions, open dialogue and shared goal of long-term success for both parties involved.”
The agreement includes new weekend differential, increased shift differential and preceptor pay, as well as access to the 1199SEIU Childcare Benefit Fund.
Washington D.C. Hospital Closure
Members at United Medical Center, located in the southeast of Washington D.C., worked their last day on April 15. The hospital had served the community for six decades, but the city, which had managed UMC since 2010, first announced that the hospital would shut its doors in 2019. Campaigning by 1199 members successfully delayed the closure twice. In the end, it was only 1199 members who were able to successfully negotiate severance payments.
“As a nurse, I already feel a noticeable boost in morale. It’s deeply encouraging to know that our hard work is being acknowledged and rewarded.”
– Earl Pugh 1199 Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
“The resilience and dedication of our members and leaders at this facility has been a blessing,” 1199 Vice President, Carrietta Hiers, said. “We’ve won many grievances, fought back, and won arbitrations ensuring that UMC honored our collective bargaining agreement. We take solace in knowing that we fought the good fight and that our union members are better off for it.”
UMC opened as Morris Cafritz Memorial Hospital in 1966. The facility was renamed to Greater Southeast Community Hospital before becoming United Medical Center in 2008, at which time 1199 had represented workers in the facility for several years. At its peak, the union represented roughly 400 UMC employees.
Joseph A. Ruffolo, CEO of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center at a joint press conference with members to announce the settlement.
Members at United Medical Center in Washington D.C.
WASHINGTON D.C.
NYC Mayor Endorsement
A member screening committee interviewed the top five candidates in the upcoming primary.
With the Primary Election to determine the Democratic Party candidate for New York City Mayor fast approaching on June 24, Union members have spent months interviewing those who have thrown their hats into the ring.
The process began with a poll being sent to all 1199ers who are registered Democratic voters in the city. More than 1,200 members responded, which is an unusually robust sample of opinion from which to draw conclusions. The poll showed 72 per cent of respondents agreed that members should endorse a candidate in the mayoral race who would support the members’ interests in turn.
Following the poll, each division was invited to recommend 1199ers who might want to take part in a member screening committee. After a short training workshop, the members who volunteered spent about a dozen hours interviewing five of the most viable candidates. Each mayoral candidate was asked questions based on what the wider membership identified as key concerns in the poll. The candidates who took part in the screenings were: Andrew Cuomo, Adrienne Adams, Brad Lander, Zellnor Myrie and Zohran Mamdani.
After each question-andanswer session, the screening committee discussed the responses and how closely they aligned with the priorities of the wider membership. Both Brad Lander and Zohran Mamdani impressed the screening committee members. But the consensus reached around who was most likely to deliver
improvements to the lives of working people in New York City, was overwhelmingly in favor of endorsing the former New York State Governor, Andrew Cuomo.
Of the 50 members on the screening committee, 22 attended all five screening calls. Yonette Wilson, an 1199 Delegate and Dietary Aide at One Brooklyn Health Interfaith Hospital in Brooklyn said: “Cuomo was on point. We need somebody who will stand up and fight alongside us. I work in a safety net hospital. I don’t know where I would go if Mr Trump has his way and cuts billions of dollars out of Medicaid.
“Being the mayor is a big job, and you have to have experience, and you cannot back down. Cuomo is definitely the most qualified of the candidates.”
1199 RN Delegate Barbara Moody praised the process to determine who the Union would endorse.
“We had a very candid and comprehensive debrief after speaking with each candidate. It was good to hear everyone’s perspective and point of view. Other members brought up issues that I hadn’t even thought about.”
Prince Pennington, another 1199 Delegate who has worked as a Radiology Tech at Northwell Health Syosset Hospital since 1998, said he also leaned towards Brad Lander.
“I’m the kind of person who takes a while to buy a car. I do a lot of research. Early endorsement did not make any sense to me. We had to listen to all the candidates,” he added.
Prince Pennington, an 1199 Delegate at Syosset Hospital in Long Island, who took part in the member screening calls.
“Being the mayor is a big job, and you have to have experience, and you cannot back down.”
– Yonette Wilson, an 1199 Delegate and Dietary Aide at One Brooklyn Health Interfaith Hospital
“A lot of 1199 members work in safety net hospitals or nursing homes which depend heavily on Medicaid reimbursement, so that they can be paid proper wages and provide quality care,” said Pennington. If Medicaid were to be cut, it would also have a dramatic effect on the NYC budget. “Cuomo stood tall against Trump during COVID,” said Pennington, “So I think he is the best person for the job now.”
Sandra Diaz, a Home Health Delegate with the Premier agency also referenced the pandemic, in regard to voting for a Cuomo endorsement: “I watched him every day during COVID. He gave me comfort and helped me feel safe in my home.”
Care Cuts Fighting
Member action has helped to shore up vital funding for New York State, but national cuts still threaten these gains.
After months of sustained lobbying in Albany, 1199 members are celebrating agreement over the New York State budget for 2026, which includes a funding increase of $15 billion compared with the previous year.
1199 Members went into budget negotiations facing attacks on Medicaid at the federal level, but intense campaigning within New York State helped to prevent any local cuts to Medicaid and includes new funding that will drive modest improvements for healthcare services.
A new source of state revenue was established to address
the rising costs of Medicaid reimbursement. Governor Kathy Hochul accepted the argument made by the Union and its allies that Medicaid managed care plans—the private insurance companies that administer most of the state’s Medicaid programs— should pay tax on their profits. This new Managed Care Organization (MCO) tax is expected to raise $4 billion towards a Healthcare Stability Fund. This vital new funding source, however, is under serious threat from the federal government.
The new money from the MCO tax could provide much-
needed funding in most of the areas where 1199ers work. As this edition of the 1199 Magazine was going to press, the MCO was slated to provide $425 million for hospital outpatient services; $445 million for nursing home services; $40 million for clinic services provided by federally qualified health centers and diagnostic and treatment centers; and $15 million for assisted living programs.
Barbara Moody, an RN Delegate at Long Island Jewish Hospital in Forest Hills, Queens, was one of hundreds of 1199ers who made the trip to Albany during budget negotiations to make the
“Without Medicaid funding, the situation for many of our seniors would be catastrophic. They would literally have nowhere to go when they left the hospital.”
– Barbara Moody, RN Delegate at Long Island Jewish Hospital in Forest Hills, Queens
case for Medicaid funding.
“As a Case Manager, I see the importance of Medicaid dollars firsthand,” she said. “It is not simply needed for patients who are in the hospital, it is also needed for post-acute care. We cannot send patients home unless there is a care plan in place.”
In many instances, elderly people do not have family members who can look after them, often because they work full-time themselves. In these situations, families rely on Home Health Aides, who are mainly paid for by Medicaid. Most nursing home beds are also paid for by Medicaid.
“A lot of people don’t realize that Medicare does not pay for nursing home care, which in the New York City area can easily cost a family $15,000 a month, if they are not eligible for Medicaid,”
Moody added.
The 1199 Case Manager further stressed how important it was to secure state funding for Medicaid because of the threatened cuts at the national level.
“Without Medicaid funding, the situation for many of our seniors would be catastrophic. They would literally have nowhere to go when they left the hospital,” she said.
The NYS budget also includes $30 million for a new capital program for nursing homes and restores the $500 million Vital Access Provider Assistance Program (VAPAP) cut hospitals faced in the previous year’s budget.
Shauntel Hinkson, an 1199 Delegate and Specialty Lab Technologist at Mt. Sinai Hospital
in Manhattan, also traveled to Albany to press lawmakers to close funding gaps in healthcare.
“With everything that is going on in the world,” she said, “we have to make our voices heard to make sure that our elected officials know who they represent. Everyone needs Medicaid at some point in their life. It is not only there for people on a low-income. Without Medicaid, many of our major New York hospitals could not operate.”
Hinkson is mother to a 15-yearold son who requires speech and occupational therapy.
“These things are provided to him through Medicaid,” she added. “I feel very happy about the New York State budget outcome. But it is still a big fight to make sure that everyone receives the care they deserve in the rest of the country.”
(Previous page) Long Island members visiting Albany to share their stories firsthand with their representative.
NYS Assembly member, Brian Cunningham, meets with 1199ers from Brooklyn.
The Work We Do: Medical Interpreters
There is growing recognition that providing quality healthcare depends on making sure providers can communicate effectively with the people who are seeking their care and treatment. The need for medical interpreters is growing rapidly as a result.
Translation used to be done on an ad hoc basis in many hospitals with bilingual healthcare workers being asked to step in whenever a clinician felt they needed help to communicate.
Since the introduction of the Affordable Care Act [ACA], however, healthcare providers who receive federal funds are required to provide qualified interpreters for patients with limited English proficiency.
Hundreds of bilingual 1199 members have answered the call and undertaken the training to become either Qualified or Certified Medical Interpreters (QMI and CMI).
Most patients who require interpretation at both Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Centers in Queens are Spanish speakers. But a significant number also speak Bengali or Mandarin, too, so the pool of interpreters has grown to 135, mainly Union members. Interpreters also serve outpatient clinics attached to the hospitals in Queens and East New York, Brooklyn.
The 1199 Magazine caught up with a few of these interpreters at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.
1.Shajneen Haque, is an 1199 Patient Navigator and Bengali speaker, who also elected to become a Qualified Medical Interpreter.
“I don’t just help people at the bedside, she explained. “Sometimes family members need help looking for parking or finding where their loved one is situated in the hospital. I also help people understand what sort of prescription refills the doctor has ordered over the phone.”
When the outpatient clinic where she works was giving out flyers containing information about everything from applying for Medicaid to food assistance and job opportunities, Haque helped Bengali speakers understand and benefit from the information.
“Sometimes people need help with navigating the healthcare system,” she said. “For instance, they may not realize that they can choose to see a doctor in the hospital or at an outpatient clinic. There are eight outpatient clinics that are part of the Jamaica Hospital system.”
Haque also helps patients navigate sticky cultural differences. “For instance, when a husband and wife come to the clinic together, the husband will often speak for his wife even if she is the patient,” she explained.
In one recent case, the husband was extremely concerned about his wife’s eyeglasses making an indentation on her nose. Haque helped him understand that this was not a significant concern to his wife. “By interpreting between patients, family members and medical
practitioners, we are able to ensure that everyone can engage in open communication and receive a higher quality of care as a result,” she added.
2. “When I started working here in 2013, I was the unofficial interpreter,” 1199 Care Manager Ivonne Padilla, said. “The hospital was using staff on a case-by-case basis. But I wanted to put it on a more professional footing. It is a huge responsibility. It is so important that everything [I explain to the patients in Spanish] is accurate.”
Padilla was frequently being called to the Emergency Room where the situation could be life or death. “Sometimes, I had to use a dictionary because I was unfamiliar with the terminology,” she said.
Ten years ago, Padilla decided to take matters into her own hands and started taking courses at LaGuardia Community College in Queens to become a Certified Healthcare Interpreter.
She barely spoke any English when she gave birth to her son a year after arriving in the U.S. from Colombia 25 years ago.
“So, I can see it from both sides,” Padilla continued. “It feels like you are missing something big, like you don’t have the use of your hands. Now, it is required by the ACA that medical facilities provide interpreters. It is not just about words we use to interpret. It is also about providing a cultural bridge regarding dietary suggestions and religious traditions—language equals culture.”
“It is also about providing a cultural bridge regarding dietary suggestions and religious traditions— language equals culture.”
–Ivonne Padilla, Certified Healthcare Interpreter
The Work We Do: Medical Interpreters
3. 1199 Patient
Navigator Alexander Tenf earned his Certified Medical Interpreter qualification five years ago.
“When I was little, my mother taught me Spanish and I acted as her interpreter when she went to her medical appointments,” Tenf said. “An interpreter gives patients the confidence to communicate their concerns and desires effectively.”
Tenf recently interpreted for a Guatemalan woman who was new to this country and did not understand how the health system here works. “She had not been able to afford to
see a doctor where she lived before,” he said.
“She was diagnosed with diabetes, and I was able to facilitate her application for Medicaid insurance coverage so she could continue her treatment. I was also able to give her advice on lifestyle and dietary changes that would improve her health.
Certain foods like tortillas are staples in the Guatemalan culture, but they produce sugar in the body, so it was best for the patient to avoid them. “It is very important that our patients understand exactly what the provider is recommending,” Tenf explained. “But it
is not just the medical encounter which requires interpretation. It is also about helping them to understand how lifestyle choices can put their health at risk.”
4. 1199 Patient Navigator Margarita Perla’s job is to provide advice to help people manage their health conditions after they return home from the hospital.
“I provide dietary advice for those with diabetes, smoking cessation to help family members with asthma and support for women who are breastfeeding for the first time,” she said.
Originally from Honduras, Perla understands how important it is for her patients to see a friendly face speaking to them in their own language. “Studies show that people are more likely to come to follow-up appointments if they know they will have an interpreter,” she said. When the chance came to train for the Qualified Medical Interpreter certification, Perla jumped at it. “There are many ways to improve public health outside of hospital. I can offer advice about housing, transportation options and food pantries—and that
can make a big difference,” she added. Perla also helps people with chronic illnesses better understand the plan of care devised by their doctors, using both her language skills and cultural knowledge. “If a patient is overweight, I give simple suggestions like getting off two [subway] stops ahead of where they live and walking the rest of the way,” she explained. I tell them to eat grilled chicken instead of fried. If they say they can’t afford to go to the gym, I advise getting a small stationary bike and storing it under their sofa.”
5. As an 1199 Dental Assistant at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, Alicia Feliz is frequently asked to interpret. She was offered the chance to study and become a Qualified Medical Interpreter in 2007—and was “thrilled” to have the opportunity.
“Here in the Dental Department, we see 150-200 people per day, and around 80 percent of them do not speak English,” she said. “Just this morning, I interpreted for four different patients in the pediatric section. “It is important to start getting dental checkups from the age of two. Even though children
lose their baby teeth, they must be healthy to keep space for the permanent teeth. If baby teeth come out prematurely, the permanent teeth can grow in crooked, and the child may need braces later on.
“I love doing interpretation. Ninety-nine percent of the patients really appreciate it when we take the time to explain things to them in their own language,” she added. “We have a mission in this community to treat all our patients fairly— and that includes communicating with them in a way that is relatable.”
“I love doing interpretation. Ninetynine percent of patients really appreciate it when we take the time to explain things to them in their own language”
–Alicia Feliz, 1199 Dental Assistant and QMI
Nurses of Distinction
An annual celebration of the valuable work that 1199 RNs do every day.
The annual 1199SEIU Nurse of Distinction Awards for 2025 was held in Manhattan on May 9, recognizing nurses in various settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based settings.
The award winners for 2025 were: Tossica McKinnon from Long Island Jewish Forest Hills Hospital in a Hospital Setting, Kerwin Clarke from Schulman & Schachne Institute in a Nursing Home Setting, and Sybilla Daniel-Douglas from Brookdale Hospital Medical Center in a Community-Based Setting. Other winners included Kareem Hill from Montefiore Wakefield for Advanced Practice RN, Christopher Murphy from Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital for Nurse Preceptor of the Year, and Triana Pena from NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital for Novice Nurse of the Year.
The 1199SEIU Nurse of Distinction Awards is an annual event that celebrates and recognizes the outstanding contributions of nurses and highlights the highest standards and ideals of the nursing profession.
The annual ceremony is held in New York City, and winners are chosen from nominees across the state.
Triana Pena, from NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital in Manhattan wins the 2025 Novice Nurse of the Year.
Advanced Practice RN award winner Kareem Hill from Montefiore Wakefield in the Bronx.
Boost for Bronx Nurses
1199 RNs at St Barnabas hospital will benefit from a $5 million subsidy to expand training opportunities and increase retention.
As part of its Nursing Initiative grant program, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is funding programs to address workforce shortages and reduce burnout across New York State.
St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx plans to spend $5 million of the money it will receive to apply for nursing accreditation programs, which will benefit 1199 nurses there.
Sophia Anglin, an 1199 Delegate and RN at St Barnabas, said: ““If nurses are to perform with the highest skill set, we need the highest quality educators
“If nurses are to perform with the highest skill set, we the highest quality educators need to bring us to that level.”
– Sophia Anglin, an 1199 Delegate and RN at St Barnabas (pictured below)
to bring us to that level.” She is currently studying for a Masters Degree in Informatics – to better analyze data to promote improved health outcomes.
Nadine Williamson, a Senior Executive Vice President of 1199SEIU, said that St Barnabas nurses there are among the lowest paid in the city and added that the accreditation program should help with recruiting and retaining nurses.
“If the nurses feel good, they’re going to give quality health care,” she said, “and the morale of the nurses lifts up the entire team.”
The grants were made to address the severe nursing shortage that existed before the pandemic and that was compounded when emergency rooms were overflowing with coronavirus patients, particularly at safety net hospitals like St. Barnabas where the majority of patients rely on Medicaid or are uninsured.
The foundation targeted its grants to hard-pressed hospitals that wanted to apply for nursing accreditation programs. It said that St. Barnabas and 12 other institutions, including and Montefiore Medical Center, also in the Bronx, would use grant money for programs overseen by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
“There are no safety net hospitals doing these programs because they’re expensive programs,” said Dr. David Perlstein, the president and chief executive of St. Barnabas.
“We can’t compete” with larger hospitals that are affiliated with medical schools “and have the funding to cover programs that should be offered everywhere,” he added.
The hospitals receiving grants will have to undergo rigorous review by the credentialing center to be certified. “We believe there’s a lot of value in the pursuit of accreditation,” said Anupa Fabian, Mother Cabrini’s chief research officer. That “will help hospitals put structures in place that lead to significant improvements in nurse well-being” — and, ultimately, patient care.
Rebecca Graystone, a senior vice president of the credentialing center, said the grants from Mother Cabrini were the most by a private foundation for safety net organizations in the United States.
A study by the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University of Albany, which found that just under half of nurses surveyed in New York State reported symptoms of burnout in 2023. The center also found that retirements were not the only factor in staff shortages. Younger nurses were moving on as well: About 15 percent of hospital nurses between 20 and 39 planned to leave their current jobs within 12 months.
Perlstein said the accreditation program at St. Barnabas would involve “shared governance and engagement” with nurses. The program will also provide more possibilities for career development for nurses “who want to be something more or something else,” he said.
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation was formed several years ago after the sale of Fidelis Care, a managed care company that had been set up by the Roman Catholic Church.
Upstate Members Strike Deal
More than a year of bargaining with the University of Rochester, ends with a strong contract, following 11th hour agreement to avert strike action.
URMHC members picketing for a fair contract
a Federal Mediator from Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) present at talks.
The following month, homecare workers held an informational picket and one-day strike outside of URMHC offices in Webster to bring their dispute with the employer to the public. The 1-day unfair labor practice strike was held as efforts to reach a full agreement continued to stall over key economic issues.
Non-economic items and nearly half of the economic items remained unsettled for months. Up until the settlement, there were still major outstanding economic issues on the table including: affordable health insurance coverage for workers, reasonable patient caseloads, wages, and more. URMHC currently has 26 job openings and has asked workers to cover additional shifts to care for patients.
Professional and Clinical members at the University of Rochester Medicine Home Care (URMHC) reached a tentative agreement for a three-year contract on May 13. Following lengthy and contentious negotiations, 1199 caregivers held their ground to protect quality care for their patients across seven rural Upstate counties. A planned five-day strike was called off following the agreement.
Homecare workers were demanding reasonable patient caseloads and affordable health insurance coverage.
“We are very pleased that we have come to an agreement with UR Medicine Homecare. It has been a long time coming and we are happy that it has finally come to a good conclusion for both workers and our patients,” said Jane Vanderwall, Physical Therapist.
The URMHC members provide professional home care services for pediatric and adult patients in Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates counties. These
Professional Home Care workers are Registered Nurses, Child Life Specialists, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants, Dietitians, Licensed Practical Nurses, Medical Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, Pediatric Registered Nurses, Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, and Speech Language Pathologists.
Professional and clinical home care workers from URMHC are the first and unique type of job category. Caregivers assist patients with the transition back into their homes and provide critical nursing care, physical, occupational and speech therapy, as well as medical and social work services.
The URMHC is an affiliate of the largest private sector employer in Upstate New York, according to IRS tax filings.
In January, 1199SEIU filed an unfair labor practice charge against URMHC alleging they bargained in bad faith when they failed to return a counter proposal on outstanding economic issues with
“It has been a long time coming and we are happy that it has finally come to a good conclusion for both workers and our patients”
– Jane Vanderwall, Physical Therapist
Homecare workers said that patient caseloads were unreasonable. But University of Rochester Medicine Home Care disagreed, saying that the caseloads were manageable. High caseloads were cited by workers who left the home care agency as their reason for leaving.
According to 2022 IRS Tax Filings, several companies tied to URMHC earned millions in profits, and URMHC has both a $2.3 million dollar endowment and a $2.6 million dollar expansion fund.
Since the massive one-day strike held by bedside caregivers and service workers at University of Rochester Medical Center last year, more and more workers in Rochester are voting to join a union and secure a contract.
Earlier this year, University of Rochester Graduate Students also began forming a union to fight for living wages. Graduate workers held a massive picket earlier this year demand that UR President Sarah Mangelsdorf make good on a promise to sign documents allowing their union election to move forward.
The Talking Cure
In these uncertain times, strategies for dealing with anxiety are more important than ever.
Within a few years of surviving the trauma of the pandemic, the nation seems to be once again living through tumultuous times. For so many healthcare workers, fear about the future and the anxiety it produces is impossible to avoid.
Coping mechanisms come in many forms. One option, which is available to many members free of charge through the 1199 Benefit Fund, is psychotherapy.
For Susie Collazo, an 1199 Delegate and Social Worker at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, the talking cure is every bit as curative as medical intervention.
“In healthcare, the emphasis is on physical health, but we’re having the realization that in treating someone you have to be wholistic, mental, physical, everything influences the whole person,” says Collazo.
“Mental health is just as important as any other part of our bodies, it impacts how we think and respond, what we say, even our decision-making skills. When you don’t include mental health, you’re missing out on a huge part of overall functioning and wellbeing,” she adds.
Collazo’s passion for psychotherapy began at an early age: “In my late teens when I experienced a big death loss of a close loved one related to substance abuse, I wanted to care for and support everyone.”
Sanjana Nidugondi, 1199 Therapist at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center in Manhattan, believes that talking about emotions is a universal need. “I can’t think of anyone not benefiting from having a pocket of time to talk about themselves, every week,” says Nidugondi, adding: “In therapy you’re showing up for yourself and only thinking about you, you don’t have to worry about caring for your provider or sharing care like you’re talking to your friend—you can take the weight of the world and those you provide for off your shoulders and only focus on what you need, you can prioritize your needs and experiences.
“Therapy is also a container for feelings and information. With your care provider you won’t have to ask, is the info I’m sharing going to stay in this relationship or will it become gossip or be divulged without my consent, which could be a concern in sharing with friends or family.”
But she also understands that many people are reluctant to reach out for professional help. “There was this stigma around it from my family and community, but in college it was the first time I could access [therapy] and it was what I needed, it was truly revolutionary for me,” says Nidugondi.
Collazo had a similar experience, “In my family culture,
there’s so many things we don’t talk about, it stays within the family and there’s no discussion about it. When [trauma] happened, I kept it to myself and there was no place to release it. That stays with you into adulthood if you’re not able to process it. Everyone needs nurturing spaces to process without judgment.”
Since the pandemic, telehealth sessions have become much more common. “Telehealth brings so much accessibility and people able to get support more easily, especially working people,” says Nidugondi. “It’s made a difference, people who are working multiple jobs or have kids can attend sessions more consistently, especially not having to commute to meet [in-person],” says Nidugondi.
She’s particularly passionate about working at Callen-Lorde because: “It primarily serves those in NY on Medicaid or Medicare who don’t have insurance, and they do gender affirming care. The organization was born out of HIV/ AIDS crisis, in fact it’s named after two queer activists – Michael Callen and Audre Lorde. Most folks we work with are queer, trans and are either uninsured or underinsured.”
Collazo also wants to help those in places who may need it the most, like her own community, and it’s personal for her. “Where
“In therapy you’re showing up for yourself and only thinking about you, you don’t have to worry about caring for your provider or sharing care like you’re talking to your friend.”
– Sanjana Nidugondi, 1199 Therapist at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center in Manhattan
I work, our community is plagued with ongoing social stressors like poverty, violence, substance abuse,” she remarks. “So many people can benefit from therapy in this community. I serve [people] who have high addiction issues, violence, these elements that I originally dealt with or felt called to help people with [from childhood], it’s all connected together for me.”
Collazo adds: “[In therapy] I can meet people where they are and talk through these things and explore and strategize what best methods to use to help.”
In the end, it’s about providing support and helping people to live their best quality of life. “In an ideal world, therapists fit into people’s support networks, we’re not a replacement for community, friendships, groups, chosen family, we are a part of a constellation of support, a larger support system for that person and it helps to know they can lean on the professional and those connections for the help they need,” says Nidugondi.
“I help people on the journey to learn about themselves and thrive and live life the best way they can no matter what happens,” says Collazo. “You can still thrive and have hope no matter what comes your way. The biggest thing is you can get to the light, even in dark times.”
Sanjana Nidugondi, 1199 Therapist at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center in Manhattan.
Susie Collazo, an 1199 Delegate and Social Worker at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn.
MEMBERS INFLUENCE
Identifying and supporting the NYC Mayoral candidate who will do most for working people has long been a role for 1199ers.
Anyone seeking political office in 1199SEIU regions vies for the Union’s support. New York City is no different. Members have played a decisive role in deciding the political future of the largest city in the country for decades.
During its formative years, the scrappy left-wing union of pharmacy workers, aligned itself squarely with the New Deal policies of Democratic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Local 1199 also supported New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, who guided the city during the Great Depression and World War II.
A liberal Republican, La Guardia also ran for office on the line of the City Fusions, a party of independent Democrats that coalesced with Republicans to defeat the NYC bosses of the corrupt Democratic Party at the time. The Union leadership stressed that city government determined to a great extent the life conditions for its members and their families. Unions have always sought to make New York–a highly unionized city–a trendsetter for the rest of the nation.
During the organization of hospital workers beginning in the late 1950s, the city was led by Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr.,
a Democrat and the son of Sen. Robert F. Wagner, the sponsor of the landmark 1935 National Labor Relations Act, which guaranteed the formation of unions, collective bargaining and the right to strike.
The younger Wagner also had a good relationship with unions, but he was not willing to confront the powerful elites who sat on the boards of the city’s voluntary hospitals. To reach its ultimate goal–full recognition and collective bargaining rights–1199 had to plead its case in the state legislature and the governor’s office.
In the 1960s, Local 1199 supported another pro-labor Republican for mayor, John Lindsay. By the 1970s, the union was becoming an important player in NYC politics. In 1973, it endorsed Rep. Herman Badillo in the Democratic primary for mayor.
A native of Puerto Rico, Rep. Badillo was attempting to become the city’s first mayor of color.
Four years later, the union endorsed Manhattan Rep. Bella Abzug in the Democratic primary
John Lindsay, NYC Mayor from 1966-1973, speaks at 1199 event.
in her bid to become the city’s first female mayor. Neither Badillo nor Abzug prevailed.
In the 1980s, labor, progressives and the communities of color were unhappy with the record of Democratic Mayor Edward Koch, who had imposed fiscal austerity policies on New Yorkers to address the economic crisis of the 1970s. The mayor slashed programs for the poor and demanded concessions from the city’s municipal unions while providing tax cuts to the city’s real estate and business interests.
In 1980, progressive Democrats and New York activists found a formidable challenger to Koch – Brooklyn Assemblyman Frank Barbaro. Barbaro,
“In New York’s political firmament, one union stands out as the superstar in getting out the vote: 1199, the giant health care workers’ union.”
–Steven Greenhouse, labor reporter for The New York Times
of the Black vote. He also outpolled Koch in every minority assembly district. At his election night celebration, held at 1199’s Manhattan headquarters, Barbaro was flanked by 1199 President Leon Davis and the CLC’s Van Arsdale.
The coalition that led the Barbaro campaign continued its electoral work. Seven years later, many of the same activists helped Jesse Jackson carry New York City in the 1988 Democratic presidential primary. And in 1989, coalition members led the campaign to elect David Dinkins, the city’s first Black mayor. At his victory party, Dinkins credited 1199 for its leadership.
(top) Herman Badillo, who ran for Mayor unsuccessfully in 1973, alongside Coretta Scott King at a Union event.
(Middle) Labor leaders and union members supporting NYC mayoral candidate Frank Barbaro (center) at a 1981 press conference called by health care unions on his behalf.
(Bottom) David Dinkins, NYC Mayor from 1990-1993, attends an 1199 Delegate Assembly in 1992.
of Italian descent, was a former longshoreman and a practicing lawyer, with strong ties to the progressive community. In the state legislature and beyond he had championed causes including civil rights, affordable housing, pro-union legislation and peace. Relatively unknown outside of progressive circles, Barbaro was dismissed by most political pundits.
Local 1199 was among the first unions to endorse Barbaro. That was followed by an endorsement by the New York City Central Labor Council (CLC), headed by Harry Van Arsdale Jr, a longtime friend of 1199.
Heavily outspent by the incumbent mayor, Barbaro won 36 percent of the Democratic primary vote and 70 percent
Mayor Dinkins was defeated in 1993 by Republican Rudy Giuliani, whose strategy depended heavily on exploiting racial divisions within the city. His victory ushered in 20 years of Republican rule, reflecting in part the power of the Wall Street, real estate and business communities.
1199 continued to play a prominent role in primary and general elections. During the 2001 mayoral primary campaign, Steven Greenhouse, labor reporter for The New York Times, wrote, “In New York’s political firmament, one union stands out as the superstar in getting out the vote: 1199, the giant health care workers’ union.”
An example of that political power was the 2013 NYC mayoral campaign. Before 1199’s endorsement, Bill de Blasio, a former Mayor Dinkins staffer, was languishing in fourth place among Democrats seeking the nomination for mayor. 1199’s support and mobilization of members was key to de Blasio winning the nomination and a subsequent two terms in office.
Weeks later, Melissa Mark-Viverito, a former 1199 staffer, was selected by New York City Council members as the first Latina to head the legislative body.
In 2021, the union’s endorsement of Maya Wiley in the Democratic primary helped her rise significantly in the polls. She was seeking to become the first Black woman elected mayor in the city, but she and the other progressives in the race were defeated by current Mayor Eric Adams.
1199’s support is still highly prized not only for its campaign donations, but also for its celebrated get-out-thevote operation headed by committed members.
1199 Patient Navigator Margarita
Perla trained to be a Medical Interpreter at Jamaica Hospital in Queens because: “I know how important it is for patients to see a friendly face speaking to them in their own language.”
