1199 Magazine: First Response

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Editorial: Pooling our Resources

Having each other’s backs is a fundamental principle of union membership. Individual employees have almost no power when it comes to negotiating better pay and conditions with their bosses. Complaining to the boss as an individual could very well lead to being shown the door.

Members of our union, on the other hand, enjoy some of the best pay and conditions in the country. The only reason for that is because we come together in numbers so large that the bosses simply cannot ignore us. It took many decades for members to build our Union into the powerful force for improving the lives of working people that it is now. It all started with a group of leftwing activists working as pharmacists in the 1930s. The Union’s founders were deeply committed to wall-to-wall unionism, as well as racial and ethnic solidarity.

cover Elisa Lopez-Cordova, a newly elected 1199 Delegate and EMT at Lenox Hill hospital, said: “I had been trying for a while to become a delegate. Now is my time. I’m an outspoken Latina, so I’m gonna be heard.”

@1199seiu www.1199seiu.org

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19 Landmark Settlement New York nursing home members secure historic wage increase.

20 Did You Forget Your 1199SEIU Federal Credit Union Account? Money in abandoned accounts is scheduled to be turned over to New York State.

22 Our History The 1963 March on Washington was led by labor unions.

In 1937, these early 1199ers launched a campaign to hire Black pharmacists in Harlem and to promote Black workers to the position of porter. (see March on Washington was Led by Labor Unions p. 22.) A couple of decades later, our Union decided it was time to organize maintenance and service workers at seven private, nonprofit hospitals in New York City. In the late 1950s, most of the other unions were reluctant to organize povertywage workers, most of whom were women of color.

During the 1959 campaign, dozens of women emerged from the ranks. The late Lena Hayes, a former Retired Member’s Division president, earned $29 for a 44-hour week as an aide at Manhattan’s Mt. Sinai Hospital. “That struggle changed my life forever,” Hayes said in a 2015 interview. During the 1959 strike, she resisted the pleas of her mother to cross the picket lines or to find another job, noting that the Union, though it didn’t have much in its treasury, provided strikers with food, car fare and other forms of assistance. The Union’s welfare committee helped some 600 workers apply for public assistance.

The unity between the pharmacists and the hospital workers was widely believed to be a decisive factor in the strike’s outcome. Lawrence Silber, another pharmacist at the time and a former Pathmark 10-years delegate, recalled: “We pharmacists agreed

Members of our union enjoy some of the best pay and conditions in the country. The only reason for that is because we come together in numbers so large that the bosses simply cannot ignore us.

to add a dollar to our monthly dues because we knew that building a bigger more powerful union would help us all,” he says.

By now, 1199 has now grown to around 450,000 members spread across New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington DC and Florida. This means that when members pool their resources in the form of dues, there is enough money to not only hire lawyers at the bargaining table—but also to bus in members from all over New York metropolitan area to support the Clara Maass nurses in New Jersey in their July rally for a fair contract. (See B ringing the Heat p. 16)

But sometimes, while thousands of members do turn out, other members sign up and decide not to show up at the last minute. This means that busses that were booked and paid for based on sign up numbers are not full. Extra space on busses translates into money going to waste. That money comes from the Union treasury that every member contributes to when they pay dues. So, let’s be accountable to each other and not waste money from our fighting fund. When we are committed to justice and accountable to each other, there’s no limit to what we can win.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to

4 Gearing up for 2024 Members describe the importance of safe staffing to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

5 The President’s Column We’re all in, and we’re taking the fight to New Jersey.

Protecting Public Health Confronting climate chaos is necessary to improve health outcomes, an 1199 Delegate tells the EPA.

Around the Regions Boston nurses win up to 20 percent raises; Power plant members at Georgetown University win 13.5 percent; Fresenius and Walgreens members settle strong contracts; Buffalo students honor healthcare workers with mural.

Facing Danger Emergency Medical Services (EMS) members call for improved safety measures.

The Work We Do Meet our EMS members: the medical professionals who respond to 911 calls.

Bringing the Heat 1199 brought its fighting force to NJ to turn up the temperature at the table.

It’s our money, let’s spend it wisely.

Regina Heimbruch

Gearing up for 2024

Members describe the importance of safe staffing to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

We’re all in

our union came to a tentative agreement earlier this month that will guarantee pay increases worth 18 percent over the next three years,” she added.

1199ers were ready to use their purple power, she said, to re-elect President Biden and Vice President Harris so they can finish the job they have started by improving staffing levels and investing in quality care.

“My shift starts at 7am, but I start at 5am because that is the only way I will have the time to do all that I need to do.”

Politically active 1199 members were invited to join President Joe Biden in Philadelphia on June 17 at his first major rally since announcing he would be running for reelection back in April.

“It feels good to be home,” President Biden told the crowd of roughly 2,000 labor union members, adding: “I look out in this crowd and I see a lot of old friends, a lot of folks, as they say in Claymont, Delaware, who brung me to the dance.”

One of those friends was Mary Samaroo, an 1199 LPN at the Queens Nassau Nursing Home in Far Rockaway, New York, who took to the podium to explain why another term of the President Biden and

Vice President Kamala Harris administration is so important.

“My shift starts at 7am, but I start at 5am because that is the only way I will have the time to do all that I need to do. We have been constantly short-staffed. Some days I have 40 patients and all I have is three nursing assistants to help,” said Samaroo, who has worked at Queens Nassau for 18 years.

“Alongside my fellow union members, I traveled to the New York State capital many times this winter to press for increases in Medicaid reimbursement rates, which our institutions so desperately need. Because of our successful lobbying in Albany,

During the previous week, another group of 1199ers were also in Philadelphia, this time to meet Vice President Harris. She was in the city to consult with labor leaders from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a coalition of local unions in which 1199 is the largest member.

The Vice President reaffirmed the Administration’s commitment to fight for investments in care workers and the care economy. When she sat down with 1199 members and fellow labor unionists from SEIU, she reinforced the commitment to nursing home staffing standards and improving the lives of caregivers: “I would put the value of that work up against anything.”

The President’s Column by George Gresham

I hope you have had a wonderful summer and had a chance to get some rest and relaxation. I know it’s been a hot one. But while the temperature outside may begin to cool down soon, 1199ers are turning up the heat.

Let me tell you why. A hospital in Belleville, New Jersey—a suburb of New York— has decided to pick a fight with its 540 nurses because they voted to join 1199SEIU. The nurses are standing firm and all of us need to have their backs. It’s a fight all of us are going to win, working together. That’s the meaning of the word “union.”

Clara Maass Medical Center is owned by RWJBarnabas Health, a mammoth healthcare conglomerate and New Jersey’s largest private employer. You know what they say about “the bigger they are,” right? The harder they fall. Thousands of members from across New York State boarded buses to Belleville, NJ on July 22, for a rally and family fun day on the hospital’s doorstep. And we may well do it again.

Here’s the story. Just like all the other frontline healthcare workers in every sector throughout the country during the pandemic, the nurses at Clara Maass put their lives on the line to give the best possible care to their patients. It wasn’t so long ago, that they were cheered as “healthcare heroes” coming off shifts to applause and the clamor of pots and pans. But hospital management seemed to forget all that when, a year ago, the nurses joined together to vote

for union representation. The employer turned hostile as employers have done throughout the ages whenever they see employees coming together to fight for a voice on the job, a wage commensurate with their service, and decent benefits to keep themselves and their loved ones healthy and secure. This past spring, the hospital terminated a beloved nurse and union activist with 25 years of experience. When eight RNs tried to deliver a petition from physicians, nurses and other caregivers protesting the firing, management suspended them (the Union has filed a federal Unfair Labor Practice charge).

Meanwhile, at the negotiating table, management has refused to bargain a fair contract. Less than an hour away, in New York City, tens of thousands of 1199SEIU nurses and other healthcare workers just won raises of 7, 6, and 5 percent over the next three years—in addition to maintaining their world-class benefits. Clara Maass, however, is offering just three percent to its most senior nurses—and inferior benefits. The Clara Maass nurses—our Union family—want training and education resources; professional practices and safe staffing committees; and retroactive pay to 2022 when the RWJBarnabas corporation gave raises to employees at its other facilities. These are reasonable demands that a wealthy corporation could easily meet—if it were acting in good faith.

It will be a major challenge for our Union, but I know we are up to it. Until now, 1199SEIU in New Jersey has been a nursing home union. The Belleville nurses are leading the way to our becoming a hospital union in the state as well, to uplift the lives out countless more caregivers and patients. But they cannot do it on their own.

How long and how difficult this fight is going to be is entirely up to management. At press time, the bosses were still digging in their heals. But we are in it to win it, and we know we will with all of your help. This is not an RN fight. This is not a New Organizing fight. This is not a New Jersey fight. This is an allunion 1199SEIU fight. Put on your marching shoes because we are going to be calling on you until this is done. Ain’t no stopping us now!

As we take the fight to New Jersey.

Sometimes, employers need to be taught how to bargain in good faith, I know the whole 1199 family is ready and willing to make management understand.

– Mary Samaroo, 1199 LPN, Queens Nassau Nursing Home, Far Rockaway, New York

 Left to right: 1199 President, George Gresham; Senior EVP Maria Castenada; HHA Lillieth Clacken; Vice President Kamala Harris; LPN Mary Samaroo; RN Scheena Tannis and Financial Rep Judy John.  Mary Samaroo at the Biden rally.

PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH

For 1199ers living in New York and Florida—and everywhere in between—this summer has been the hottest in memory. And in New York, members have also been faced with too many days of extremely poor air quality caused by smoke particles from forest fires in Canada.

The scientific community is all but unanimous in attributing the notable increase in extreme weather events to the effects of global warming, which in turn is caused by decades of dangerous emissions resulting from our reliance on burning fossil fuels.

In a bid to tackle the growing problem of extreme weather in the U.S., the Biden administration has come up with a plan to drastically reduce coal and natural gas pollution over the next two decades— and potentially save up to $85 billion in public health and climate change mitigation costs.

When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held public hearings on their proposed new

standards which would slash carbon dioxide from fossil fuel-fired power plants by 617 million metric tons, 1199SEIU was asked to testify about the public health benefits of such an initiative.

Maurice DePalo, an 1199 Delegate who works at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx as a Registered Pharmacist explained to the federal body why these new standards are crucial for the health of his community.

“Working at a hospital in the Bronx, I see firsthand that the rates of asthma in the community are out of control. The South Bronx and parts of upper Manhattan have one of the highest death and disease rates in the country. In a schoolbased study sample, 15.5 percent of children 4- to 5-years-old were identified as having asthma compared to 9.2 percent in the rest of the city; and the citywide rate is already higher than many other cities.

“We know that fossil fuel-fired power plants are one of the largest sources of carbon pollution driving

climate chaos. This leads to poor air quality, respiratory disease, heart disease and other illnesses. As I am preparing this testimony, I am wearing an N95 mask because NYC is experiencing the worst air quality in the world due to the Canadian wildfires. Never has this been seen before here.”

Coming from the Bronx and being a health care professional for one of the largest medical centers in the country, DePalo well knows how desperately this legislation needs to be implemented.

“Here in the Bronx we are suffering from extreme climate injustice,” he told the federal body, “We have crisscrossing highways, old building heating systems, private waste transfer stations and large industries such as Fresh Direct Diesel trucking, and the Hunts Point market situated in the South Bronx where the health of our Black and Brown communities have very high illness rates and hospitalizations. It seems polluting

sources are always placed in these communities. Affluent neighborhoods should not be the only lives that matter. We all are entitled to live a healthy life.”

The South Bronx neighborhood of Mott Haven has been dubbed “asthma alley” because residents are suffering with some of the worst pollution in the city.

NYC is no stranger to extreme weather. “We all remember the damage Hurricane Sandy caused in our city,” DePalo told the EPA. “Flooding basements from rainwater was nonexistent on my street where I live ten years ago—and now, 50 percent of basements get flooded because the sewer systems can no longer handle the deluge rainfalls.”

The Biden Administrations plan is designed to prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths, hundreds of thousands of respiratory illnesses and reduce dangerous climate chaos-fueled weather disasters. The goal is to help cut climate pollution in half by the year 2030.

Confronting climate chaos is necessary to improve health outcomes, an 1199 Delegate tells the EPA.

“Working at a hospital in the Bronx, I see first-hand that the rates of asthma in the community are out of control. The South Bronx and parts of upper Manhattan have one of the highest death and disease rates in the country.”

–

Maurice

DePalo, an 1199

Delegate

who works at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx as a Registered Pharmacist

 New York City blanketed by thick smog from the Canadian wildfires this summer.

 Maurice DePalo, on a much clearer day from the same vantage point at 1199 headquarters.

Around the Regions

Boston

Nurses Win up to 20 Percent Raises

Nearly 2,000 members in the nursing field at Boston Medical Center ratified a new three-year contract in June including a 20 percent wage increase for RNs, making them the highest-paid nurses in Boston at $93.65 per hour based on experience.

“From the newly graduated to those have committed their entire careers to BMC, this contract will ensure we earn wages that not only set the bar for the rest of the city, but are competitive, fair and welldeserved,” said Whitney Bobola, an 1199 RN on the bargaining committee. “With this contract, I have shown my young sons what hard work and determination between a group of organized

people can accomplish.”

The contract also includes LPNs who won a minimum 10 percent raise, as well as Nurse Educators, and Nurse Practitioners.

"The past three years have been harrowing to say the least; nurses have faced the brunt of

Fresenius and Walgreens Members Settle Strong Contracts

a pandemic, staffing shortages, and burn out,” said Katlynn Campbell, another RN member of the bargaining committee.

“This contract elevates financial compensation, work life balance, and safety for every single nurse at BMC and shows them they are valued and important.”

Power Plant Members at Georgetown University Win 13.5 Percent

On June 8, members who work at the ENGIE power plant at Georgetown University in Washington DC unanimously ratified a contract that raises wages by 13.5 percent over three years and codifies key safety guarantees. The contract covers Maintenance Mechanics and Power Plant Operators.

Clarence Jefferson from high voltage, who has worked at the plant for 15 years, says he’s excited about clauses in the contract regarding vehicle size and safety protocols for moving equipment: “This is very important and critical for what we need and the type of work that we do. We need to be sure that we can leave out of here the same way that we came in.”

ENGIE is a third-party organization contracted to run the power plant on Georgetown's campus.

“This contract elevates financial compensation, work life balance, and safety for every single nurse at BMC and shows them they are valued and important.”

Katlynn

Members at kidney dialysis facilities run by Fresenius in New York City negotiated a new contract in June dating back to 2021. Roughly 70 percent of the bargaining unit will receive immediate wage increases. Everyone else will receive 10 percent raises over the next four years. In addition, the agreement includes significantly increased minimum wage rates and a $1,500 ratifica-

Students Honor Healthcare Workers with Mural

tion bonus.

Peggy Vujovich, a Dietitian at the Fresenius clinic in Brooklyn, who was on the bargaining committee, said: “This time around we really felt like we had a voice. We were the ones fighting for our own contract, not the lawyers. We recognized that we needed to be confident enough to fight for our rights. “We all found our voice and were able to tell management what

A group of 9th grade students from the Buffalo Academy of Visual and Performing Arts design came together this summer to paint a mural on conference room wall at 1199SEIU’s Buffalo office.

“Two of my sisters work in healthcare,” said 9th grade muralist, Savior Win, adding: “One is working to become a Physician Assistant and the other graduated from the University of Buffalo and is studying to be a nurse. It was a

we wanted. Other 1199 members really supported us with a visibility day, which was key. At the very next negotiation, management finally started talking about wage increases after months of stalling.”

1199 members at Walgreens pharmacies throughout New York State and in New Jersey also settled a new contract with increases for both Pharmacists and retail staff.

really nice coincidence because my sisters go through a lot to become healthcare workers –maybe if they were in the union, they would be more supported and less burden on them.”

Another painter, Gianna Doria, added: “In Buffalo, we have a lot of good healthcare workers who support people and get them through medical stuff. Some of my best friends got to put their drawings on the mural and that’s so cool.”

“This time around we really felt like we had a voice. We were the ones fighting for our own contract, not the lawyers.”

–

Campbell, RN, Boston Medical Center

– Peggy Vujovich Dietitian at the Fresenius clinic in Brooklyn

 Boston Medical Members at the bargaining table.

 ENGIE members celebrate.

 1199ers show solidarity with Fresenius members on their visibility day.

 Mural painted by students on the wall of the 1199 office in Buffalo, NY.

MARYLAND/DC

Facing Danger

The stabbing of an EMT outside Mount Sinai West hospital in July underscores the dangers faced by emergency medical workers every day. According to the FDNY, more than 120 EMT workers have been attacked this year. Unfortunately, violence against healthcare workers is all too common. Our 1199 EMS members and their supporters are now actively calling on management and fellow New York City emergency responders to help put more safety measures in place.

“We are constantly in harm’s way on every job we go on because every job is different,” says Fernando Correa, a paramedic at Mount Sinai for 18 years. “If we have an emotionally disturbed patient, things can change in a heartbeat. They can go from

being compliant to combative and attacking you.” When it comes to safety measures, Correa recommends bulletproof and stabproof vests. “The vests can help minimize the damage or injury, and we don’t have them available to us. I bought my own vest because I’m a single father raising two kids and I want to make sure I get home to them.”

Pedro Echevarria, an EMT for 25 years and 1199 Delegate, knows that attacks on first responders are all too common. “Unfortunately, this is a situation that happens more often than many people realize. We get assaulted on the scene, in the back of the ambulance. I’ve seen many people get stabbed, punched, kicked, and spat it.” Echevarria wants better

work.”

communication with the NYPD and greater assistance to ensure the safety of medical workers. “With mental illness in the city at an all-time high, [our patients sometimes] take advantage of the people who are coming to help them. We want to do our jobs, but we also want to be safe and go home to our families.”

In response to the recent violent incident, Victoria Koukoulas, a 9-year Paramedic, who has been at Mt. Sinai Hospital for the past 4 years, wrote a statement asking for a plan to prevent EMS violence, as well as trauma debriefing opportunities. “I find myself fearful for my life every time I put on my uniform and head to work,” she says. “EMS is an unpredictable job, and we are often the first to respond in emergencies with unpredictable circumstances. I’ve experienced firsthand the emotional toll that difficult assignments and traumatic events can take on us and was mandated to attend a debriefing after a traumatic call. I found solace in discussing the event with my colleagues and a trained professional. By [management] prioritizing our safety and wellbeing we can continue to serve the public with the utmost dedication and effectiveness.”

New York must do all it can to ensure that these frontline heroes are able to do their jobs free from the threat of physical harm. All workers have a right to a safe workplace, especially in healthcare where every second counts to save a life.

WORK WE DO Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Emergency Medical Services are the medical professionals that respond to 9-1-1 calls to treat and transport people in crisis. As EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) and Paramedics, these workers respond to trauma of all kinds – from car accidents to drownings, cardiac arrest to strokes, baby deliveries, wounds from weapons, overdoses, and broken bones, every day is something different and an opportunity to provide help and support.

Recently, EMS workers have been in the spotlight after a recent violent attack. But the danger these members face does not deter them from doing the work that they love.

The 1199 Magazine caught up with several members to learn more about what they do.

EMS members call for improved safety measures.

 Victoria Fauslo, an EMT at Richmond University Hospital on Staten Island.

“I find myself fearful for my life every time I put on my uniform and head to

–

Victoria Koukoulas, Paramedic,

Mt.

Sinai Hospital

 Members join a solidarity rally for EMS workers in New York City.

THE WORK WE DO

1. “You need patience, common sense, being able to speak to people of all sorts of different backgrounds, and being able to treat people the same,” says Thomas Herrera, 21-year EMT at Lenox Hill Hospital. “I love helping people.” Herrera also emphasized the importance of partnership, “Your partner can 100% make or break your day. You could have best day in the world and don’t get along with your partner – it can be a very long day.” He’s noticed his perception of EMT’s has changed.

“When you’re a kid you think [EMS workers] are adrenaline junkies or turn on the siren and lights just to go through traffic, but once you’ve done this for more than a week, you don’t want to go ‘lights & sirens’ you hate that noise. I like having peaceful days when no one gets hurt and no one is sick.”

2. Celina Brunings, EMT for 7-years at Lenox Hill, knows the challenges of the job because of the circumstances of the calls and the resources available. “We have very unpredictable days and we’re in a sporadic environment where at times we’re not safe or we don’t get the resources that we need.”

Another frustration is sometimes not being treated as equal. “Some men don’t always respect us. I had one try to take the [medical] bag and the chair while on a call and I had to say to him, ‘I got this,” I’m your partner, I appreciate the courtesy, but I’m also a member and want to be treated as such.”

Regardless, Brunings wouldn’t change her job for anything. “I had a patient thank me yesterday while I was at the gas station and he said that he appreciated that I treated him with respect, was calm and cool, he said that I really saw him.”

3. That sense of family is something Elisa Lopez-Cordova shares as an EMT at Lenox Hill for the past 12 years. “We celebrate people’s birthdays, if someone has a baby, if there’s a death – we’re there for

each other.” Lopez experienced this firsthand when her husband was diagnosed with cancer in the middle of the pandemic. “He’s a first responder also so that hit double hard. I worried about bringing COVID home to him who is immune compromised and worried about [spreading it] to my patients, my partner, everyone. When he was in the hospital, I had a co-worker bring a date and sit with him for 7 hours.” Lopez’s husband is doing okay and can often be seen with her at Union events. Even though she’s been an EMT for 22 years, she’s only been a delegate for four months, but loves the experience. “I had been trying for a while to become a delegate, so now is my time. I’ve gotten exposed to so many things. I got to be a part of negotiations, I’ve gone to Albany, I feel like I have more of a voice now. I’m an outspoken Latina, so I’m gonna be heard.”

4. “The number one rule of EMS is do not take your job home with you. You always sympathize and empathize with them, like this could be your family member, but your goal is to do the job and leave it there,” says Sonny Hodge, a paramedic at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) for six years, adding: “We see things that no one else sees; not just bodily fluids and blood, but things no one should have to see. We meet people often on their worst day, so we must remain professional and keep ourselves healthy so we can do the job. Your worst day could be someone’s last day, so I want to show up and give 100% to all my patients.” Hodge plays baseball to decompress. “I played baseball growing up and I got hurt a few times, so I started to think of other options if I didn’t make it professionally. I always found medicine interesting and wanted to do sports medicine, so I was like, ‘let me go on an ambulance and see if I like it.’ Unfortunately (lol) I loved it and I’m still here.”

THE WORK WE DO

5. Cassidy Iannariello, an EMT at RUMC for 7 years values the training she’s receiving and that it’s being covered by 1199. “I wanted to go to med school and thought EMS would be a good start.” Iannariello is studying at Kingsborough Community College and was set to graduate on July 25th. “The 1199 Training Fund paid for my school and healthcare; it was very helpful especially when I couldn’t work that much while going to school.”

She also sees the value of being a woman training in the next level of the field, “right now there’s 27 students in my class, and there’s only four females. As a female I’m really trying to push and pass so that I can show others that yes, a female can do this and do a great job at it.”

6. “I’ve wanted to be a paramedic probably my whole life,” says Robert Bonome paramedic at Richmond University Hospital (RUMC) in Staten Island for 15 years. “I found a journal that I wrote in when I was 10 – 11 years old that I wanted to be an EMT and then a paramedic, and I don’t even remember writing it. My mother was a nurse, so that started me in the medical field.” It is not easy, “More than 50 percent of people who start paramedic school usually fail; when I did it in 2008, we started with 32 [students] and 13 graduated.” But if you make it, it’s worth it, “I helped deliver a baby on the shoulder of FDR Drive in the back of a yellow cab. It all went smoothly; it was a girl or jokingly I would’ve asked the mom to name it after me!”

7. EMS work is a family affair for Victoria Fauslo an EMT at RUMC for three years. “I grew up around EMS and it had an influence on me. My mom, stepdad, uncle, and brother are all EMS workers; my uncle and brother both work at RUMC and sometimes we have shifts together, there’s a fun sibling rivalry.” When asked advice for anyone wanting to become an

EMS worker, Fauslo suggests doing the ambulance tours. “A lot of new students stay in the ER and do vital checks instead of going on the ambulance. The first time you’re doing a compression on someone’s chest is the time you’re really gonna know if you’re cut out for the job or not.” Worker’s safety, especially being a woman, is on top of mind for Fauslo. “We have calls come in labeled ‘unknown’ so you don’t know what environment you’re walking into. We don’t carry anything to keep us safe, but we have a specific radio call which signals that we’re in danger and other ambulances will come to where you are to help.”

8. “We have 150 EMS employees that use 6 ambulances that run 24-7, four BLS (basic life support) trucks and two ALS (advanced life support).” Explains Joseph Fiore a 20-year EMT at RUMC and an 1199 Delegate, “BLS is more bandaging and treating wounds, treating those critically injured. ALS is for heart and respiratory conditions and can administer drugs, treating those critically sick. EMT’s are BLS and paramedics are ALS.” There are around 3,000 members in 1199 because EMS is in every hospital. When asked what people don’t know about EMS work, Fiore said, “it’s not like on TV, we don’t sit in a firehouse and hang out with 20 people making dinner. We sit on a street corner, wherever they assign you and that’s where you start and stay in-between calls.”

“More than 50 percent of people who start paramedic school usually fail; when I did it in 2008, we started with 32 [students] and 13 graduated. But if you make it, it’s worth it”

– Robert Bonome

Bringing the

Heat

Clara Maass Medical Center is named after a 19th century nurse who travelled the world providing medical aid to soldiers. Influenced by Florence Nightingale, she volunteered for medical experiments to study yellow fever, and died before she was 30.

Nearly 125 years later, the 540 RNs at RWJBarnabas’ Clara Maass Hospital in Belleville, Essex County, New Jersey are still fiercely devoted to their patients. But management appears to be forgetting about the crucial role nurses play in delivering quality care, and ignoring the legacy of the hospital’s namesake—the original Clara Maass.

On July 22, thousands of members boarded busses from New York City, Westchester and Long Island to school management in what it means to be part of 1199. Members amplified the voices of Clara Maass RNs fighting for a fair

contract and demonstrated their collective strength with a march and rally held outside the hospital.

Roughly 540 Clara Maass RNs voted to unionize with 1199SEIU last year. Talks at the bargaining table have been unproductive, however, with management refusing nurses’ demands for greater input on patient care and staffing. When nurses proposed the creation of a labor-management committee as a forum to address workplace issues, Clara Maass said they did not need one because management knew what was best for the hospital—thereby denying the value of nurses' professional experience in providing frontline care.

Management has also rejected proposals to establish basic quality-of-life benefits for nurses to care for their children and promote their own professional

“We risked our lives to serve this community. [And they supported us back.] But we don’t get the same support from RWJBarnabas and upper management at Clara.”

– Caprice Frazier, a Float Pool Nurse, at Clara Maass Medical Center

1199 brought its fighting force to NJ to turn up the temperature at the table.



1199ers from all over New York join newly organized Clara Maass nurses for a fair contract rally in New Jersey.

development, including 1199’s Child Care Fund and Training and Education Fund, which require minimal investment by the employer.

Barbara Moody, an RN Delegate at Long Island Jewish Hospital in Forest Hills, Queens, spoke to the rally-goers about the value of 1199’s Child Care Fund. “My son who is now 15 years old, was able to go to summer camp from kindergarten until now,” she said. The Union’s Job Security Fund has also made a big difference in Moody’s life. “Back in 2009, the hospital where I worked closed six months after I started,” she said. “I had only been an 1199 member for six months. But they called me up and told me they would find me a new job. Sure enough, I got a call for a job interview at Long Island Jewish and I have been there ever since.”

Moody is one of tens of thousands of 1199 RNs just a few miles away from Clara Maass in New York City—members of 1199SEIU and NYSNA—who won collective bargaining agreements that provide annual wage increases of 18 percent over the next three years, while maintaining their far superior benefits and labor-management partnership. This historic contract win has increased the already significant disparities between RN jobs in NJ and NY and created further urgency to close this gap to retain the pool of nurses working in the Garden State.

At the July rally, Clara Maass nurses talked about how and why they are pressing for greater parity with NY nurses.

Caprice Frazier, a Float Pool Nurse, started at Clara Maass at the height of the pandemic in April 2020. “It was one of the scariest times to be going into healthcare,” she said. “But we got through it by standing together. We risked our lives to serve this community and the outpouring of love and support from our community got us through some of our toughest days. But we don’t get the same support from RWJBarnabas and upper management at Clara.”

Another bargaining committee member, Elizabeth Rosa, asked the crowd, “Just because our community is under resourced, why should that mean that RWJBarnabas can get away with under resourcing this hospital?” Born and raised in nearby Newark, Rosa has resisted pressure to leave the hospital in search of better pay and working conditions elsewhere. Instead, she is committed to forcing management to invest in improving staffing levels and making her hospital a great one. “I wanted to be one of those people that can make a change in my own community,” she said.

Family Fun Day

After flexing their collective muscle outside Clara Maass Hospital, members spent the rest of the day relaxing with their families in a nearby park. 1199SEIU had laid on hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream and other carnival-style treats. There were bouncy castles, slides, balloon caricatures and bubble shows for the kids to enjoy and music and dancing for the adults. The local Newark Fire Department even drove one of their engines to the park for the kids to climb up on.

Tanya Howard, an 1199 RN, who has worked at Clara Maass for 23 years and was a leading activist in the union drive last year, was there with her granddaughter. She said: “I love the turnout. It’s beautiful that so many members came out to support us. I wasn’t expecting anything like this.”

Peggy Vujovich, an 1199 Delegate who works as a Dietitian at the dialysis center run by Fresenius Kidney Care in Brooklyn said she came out to support the Clara Maass nurses in their contract battle to “give back.” She had seen the power of solidarity for herself day during their own negotiations: “We had been proposing pay increases to management for months,” said Vujovich. But talks were stalled until 1199 members turned out in force to their member visibility day. “At the very next negotiation date, management finally started talking to us about pay increases,” she added.

Retired members boarded buses to New Jersey too, when they got the call that 1199 nurses need their help.

“These are nurses that work hard,” said Eustene Corbin, who retired from the Catholic Medical Center Hospital in Queens. “Management refuses to pay them what they deserve. Every year we go to Albany and Washington to lobby for public money which benefits the management of their institution. We retired from the job, but not from the union.”

Landmark Settlement

New York nursing home members secure historic wage increase.

Nursing home members in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County have won a tremendous victory, achieving the highest wage increases in decades, locking in 18-percent raises over three years.

Roughly 33,000 members will benefit from this landmark settlement following contract reopener negotiations in Uniondale, Long Island where a tentative agreement was reached on June 14.

Not only did members in the Greater New York (GNY) and “Group of 65” homes successfully negotiate pay increases of 7-percent this October (with retroactive payments going back to July 1, 2023) followed by 6-percent and 5-percent in 2024 and 2025 respectively – but they also made significant progress towards safe staffing.

Announcing the agreement at the table, management lawyers acknowledged that if it were not for 1199ers’ dogged determination to press New York State Governor Kathy Hochul to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates, the dramatic increase in wages would not have been possible.

Polly Henry, an 1199 Delegate and Unit Clerk at Cold Spring Hills nursing home in Long Island, said this is the first time she remembers hearing attorneys say thank you.

“We got that money for them,” Henry said. “We won that money in Albany with shoe leather and broken feet. Some people were surprised that we were able to reopen our contract and win a

strong settlement so quickly. I was not surprised. I knew that we had done what was needed to make it happen.”

Michelle Williams, an 1199 Delegate and Dietary Aide, who has worked at Split Rock Nursing Home in the Bronx for 25 years added, “We truly needed this wage increase. Everything is going up and our paycheck was not enough. It felt like we were living just a little above the poverty level. I was spending over $100 a week, and my grocery bag was smaller. This new money in our pockets will make a big difference to my family’s life.”(Cont. on next page)

“That was the first time I remember ever hearing the lawyers saying thank you. We got that money for them. We won that money in Albany with shoe leather and broken feet.”

 Historic contract being signed representing 33,000 nursing home members in NYC, Long Island and Westchester.

– Polly Henry, an 1199 Delegate and Unit Clerk at Cold Spring Hills nursing home in Long Island.

 Left: Tanya Howard with her grand daughter Right: Peggy Vujovich a Brooklyn Delegate turns out in support of Clara Maass nurses.

(Cont. from previous page)

But money was not the only issue on the table. Even before the pandemic, New York nursing homes had some of the highest proportions of agency staff in the country, comparable only to rural states with limited populations of local workers. The staffing crisis caused by the pandemic simply made the problem worse.

Agency staff are not only very expensive which makes it even harder for nursing homes to hire enough permanent staff, but they are also temporary. The shortterm nature of their contracts undermines the continuity of care that residents need and also places an added burden on the permanently employed 1199 members who are constantly called upon to show them the ropes.

That’s why the Union is backing legislation brought by New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera and New York State Assemblymember Amy Paulin, which seeks to create economic incentives for nursing home management to employ fewer agency staff in the homes they run.

Not only was the prospect of this legislation an important factor in striking a contract deal at the bargaining table—it’s also improving the morale amongst members who are, themselves, recovering from the effects of the pandemic. Reducing the reliance on agency staff is a significant step towards improving recruitment and retention of badly needed permanent staff.

Did You Forget Your 1199SEIU Federal Credit Union Account?

Clara N. Agha

161-38 118th Ave. Jamaica, NY 11434

Elizabeth B. Agyemang

1064 Evergreen Ave. Bronx, NY 10472

Dorla C. Anglin

625 W. 164th St., Apt. 22A New York, NY 10032

Simone M. Augustin

Michelle M. Carvalho

529 East 22nd Street #1H Brooklyn, NY 11226

Claudette T. Charles

588 Crescent Street Brooklyn, NY 11208

Larisa Chebulova

2055 Ocean Ave., Apt. 2B Brooklyn, NY 11230

Merle E. Ferdinand 403 8th Street Brooklyn, NY 11215

Blanca B. Fernandez 567 46st Street Brooklyn, NY 11220

Dennis E. Forde

368 E. 46th St. Brooklyn, NY 11203

Althea A. Hawthorne 1688 Lenox Street Elmont, NY 11003

Elizabeth Hernandez P.O. Box 544 West sq. Sta. Bronx, NY 10461

Katherine Melo Hernandez 2198 University Avenue, #3 Bronx, NY 10453

Peter Kofi 1660 Topping Ave., Apt. #6F Bronx, NY 10457

Kimberly P. Korbin 2069 Pacific Street Brooklyn, NY 11233

Marie E. Lafleur 15 West Street Central Nyack, NY 10960

Violet E. Murphy 2115 Clinton Ave., Apt. #2

Bronx, NY 10457

Eddy Myrthil 1539 E. 48th Street Brooklyn, NY 11234

Mary Luz Natera

Hernandez 3000 Park Ave., Apt. 3F Bronx, NY 10451

Carmen Reefer

1185 Carroll Street, Apt. 3l Brooklyn, NY 11225

Berkys Rijo 2026 7th Ave., Apt. 2B New York, NY 10027

Joseph Robinson 123-33 83rd Ave., Apt. 902 Kew Gardens, NY 11415

their strongest contract in decades.

Money

in abandoned accounts is scheduled to be turned over to New York State.

Are you a member of the 1199SEIU Federal Credit Union?

It’s vital to keep your share accounts with the 1199SEIU Federal Credit Union active. New York State law requires all financial institutions to report any account that is considered dormant or inactive to be turned over as abandoned property. Any account that has been without activity for three years is considered inactive. We are required by law to publish this list of dormant account holders.

A report of these unclaimed funds will also be sent to the New York State Comptroller.

Listed persons appear to be entitled to these funds. The full list is on file and available for public inspection at the 1199SEIU Federal Credit Union, located on the 2nd floor of at 498 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. Held amounts of funds will be paid to proven, entitled parties by the 1199SEIU Federal Credit Union through October 31, 2023. Remaining unclaimed funds will be turned over to the New York State Comptroller’s Office on or before November 10, 2023. For more information visit the 1199SEIU Federal Credit Union or call (212) 957-1055.

266 Covert Street, #3 Brooklyn, NY 11207

Luz D. Ayala

2471 E. 21st St., Apt. 2F Brooklyn, NY 11235

Marie C. Balkaran

243-08 137 Ave. Rosedale, NY 11422

Mae Barnes

161 South Elliot Pl. Brooklyn, NY 11217

Lenox A. Benain

3410 De Reimer Ave., Apt. 5K Bronx, NY 10475

Sharon Mae Blackford

204-05 115th Ave., 1st Floor St. Albans, NY 11412

George Boamah-Ansong

3455 Fish Ave., Apt. 3B Bronx, NY 10469

Luis F. Borbon

590 62nd St., Apt. 7G West New York, NJ 07093

Marva Bouttry

4305 Hillsborough Dr. Snellville, GA 30039

Michelle Andrea Branwell

1418 Brooklyn Ave., Apt. 6A Brooklyn, NY 11210

Aritha Bristol

1205 East 92nd St., 2nd Fl Brooklyn, NY 11236

Terrance Bristol

753 Classon Ave., Apt. 1A Brooklyn, NY 11238

Nadine Brown 2761 Sampson Ave., Apt. 3C Bronx, NY 10465

Roland Brown

1381 Linden Blvd., Apt. 16G Brooklyn, NY 11212

Gertrude Bullard

50 S. Orange Avenue Newark, NJ 07103

Lorna I. Burke 794 Midwood Street, #3D Brooklyn, NY 11203

Renee R. Bussey

W. Farms Square Plz., Apt.

3C, Bronx, NY, 10460

Rosanna Cabrera

677 W. 204th Street #6 New York, NY 10034

Deborah C. Carroll

211 Craigo Creek Ct. Fountain Inn, SC 29644

Shirley L. Cherry 53 State St. Ossining, NY 10562

Bela Christian PO Box 200328 Brooklyn, NY 11220

Jean R. Colin

80 Winthrop St., Apt. H3 Brooklyn, NY 11225

Abraham Collins 765 East 165 Street Apt., 6C Bronx, NY 10456

Karen Connor

20 Francine Court, Unit B Staten Island, NY 10306

Trudy-Ann S. Copperfield

17416 Murdock Ave. Jamaica, NY 11434

Jaime Coquinco

8306 Viertor Ave., Apt. 2A Elmhurst, NY 11373

Camille K. Cross 702 E 81st St. Brooklyn, NY 11236

Diane N. Dabney 75 Emerson Street Carteret, NJ 07008

Vanessa De Danzine 1029 Dumont Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11208

Angela E. Deshong

9526 Schenck Street, Unit 1 Brooklyn, NY 11236

Baye Sadio Diawara

1052 Findlay Ave., 3A Bronx, NY 10456

Fatima M. Diaz

505 West 183rd Street, #1C New York, NY, 10033

Katherine Doolittle 111 Terrace Avenue

Floral Park, NY 11001

Ginette Drapeau

12614 133rd Ave. Ozone Park, NY 11420

Carol A. Drysdale 400 Cozine Ave., Apt. 5l Brooklyn, NY 11207

Yolanda Enriquez

841 Hart St., Apt. 2R Brooklyn, NY 11237

Brenda F. Evans-Streete

2440 Hunter Ave, #16F

Bronx, NY 10475

Marjorie Faulkner

645 Ocean Ave., B3 Brooklyn, NY 11226

Delfern Foxton Jackson 345 E. 23rd St., Apt. Paterson, NJ 07514

Josette Francois 114-41 131st Street

S. Ozone Park, NY 11420

Gloria P. Franklyn 806 Midwood St., Apt. 4A Brooklyn, NY 11203

Barbara A. Garcia 520 W. 56th St., #7D New York, NY 10019

Fiordaliza Garcia 2970 Marion Ave., Apt. 2F Bronx, NY 10458

Lynn Rose Gibbs 735 East 37th Street Brooklyn, NY 11210

Eugenia C. Gibson 438 Beach 40th St., Apt. 5G Far Rockaway, NY 11691

Marie G. Jean Gilles 950 Rogers Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11226

Chet Gomes 756 Saint Ouen St., #2fl Bronx, NY 10470

Mary A. Gonzalez 299 Lucille Ave. Elmont, NY 11003

Esla Graham-Harris 618 Van Siclen Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11207

Anna J. Grant 66 W. Gun Hill Rd., Apt. 5H Bronx, NY 10467

Marsha Grant 69 N. Arlington Ave., Apt. 406 East Orange, NJ 07017

Novelette Grant 1417 Boston Ave. Bridgeport, CT 06610

Pamela D. Griffin 498 Claremont Pkwy Bronx, NY 10457

Elsa S. Guity 1285 Washington Ave., Apt. 3E Bronx, NY 10456

Olga E. Hamiilton 540 Schroeders Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11239

Ada Harris 9 Dix Place

Staten Island, NY 10304

Ivy M. Hines 90 Brennan Street Huntington, NY 11743

Frederick B. Hylton 14477 41st Ave., Apt. 218 Flushing, NY 11355

Ligia A. Izquierdo 1749 Grand Concourse Apt. W2l, Bronx, NY 10453

Arilourde Jean 904 Albany Avenue, #1F Brooklyn, NY 11203

Madeleine Jean 220-18 120th Ave. Cambria Heights, NY 11411

Saintania C. Jean 22 Bradford Ave. White Plains, NY, 10603

Eunice Jennings 04 Shirley Lane West Babylon, NY 11704

Conrad Jiminez 849 East 51st Street

Brooklyn, NY 11203

Thresiamma John 1525 Waring Ave., PH Bronx, NY 10469

Everald R. Johnson 217-11 102nd Ave Queens Village, NY 11429

Roberta L. Johnston 1480 Thieriot Ave., Apt. 1G Bronx, NY 10460

Monica Jordan 242 W. 112th St., Apt. 3A New York, NY 10026

Marie C. Joseph 1230 E 98th Street, #1 Brooklyn, NY 11236

Althea Joseph-Taylor 15 Featherbed Ln. #4B

Bronx, NY 10452

Tina O. Jumah 2 Center St., Apt. 1004

Newark, NJ 07102

Mary Philipose Kavunkal 53 East Broad Street

Bogota, NJ 07603

Birikiti Kelati 2501 Hoffman St., Apt. 1

Bronx, NY 10458

Darryl Khan 717 E. 217 Street, #2 Bronx, NY 10467

Lucretia Lawrence 4504 Parkmont Ave. Baltimore, MD 21206

Claville V. Leitch 72 E 51st St., Bsmt Brooklyn, NY 11203

Keneshia N. Letts 1300 Helen Dr., Unit 302 Newark, NJ 19702

McCarthy S. Lewis 1248 St. Johns Place Brooklyn, NY 11213

Nedra A. Lewis 2289 5th Ave., Apt. 5S New York, NY 10037

Eunice K. Livingston 40 W. Mosholu Pkwy. S., Apt. 21F Bronx, NY 10468

Kathleen L. Lynch-Gaffney 329 Union Street, Apt. 4E Brooklyn, NY 11231

Amalfis Martinez 415 E. 102nd St., Apt. 2B New York, NY 10029

Cecil L. Maynard 548 Sheffield Ave., #1 Brooklyn, NY 11207

Tabatha Mcaddley 1075 Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd. Apt 8G, Bronx, NY 10452

Verona R. Mccoy 1038 Harding St. Uniondale, NY 11553

Gloria L Mcdowall 1203 E 92nd St. Apt. 3 Brooklyn, NY 11236

Julia Miguelina Mercado 20 Laurel Hill Terr. Apt. #6H New York, NY 10033

Julette Marjorie Mitto 27 Claremont Ave., Apt. 3R Mount Vernon, NY 10550

Merryl Moise 957 Utica Ave., Apt .7A Brooklyn, NY 11203

Rose M. Monroe Turner 536 East 96th Street, Apt. 6D, Brooklyn, NY 11212

Karen Ann Moore 803 Rogers Ave., Apt. 2R Brooklyn, NY 11226

Janice Nadine Morgan 1640 Montgomery Ave. Bronx, NY 10453

Linda D Morris 2841 W 23 Street Brooklyn, NY 11224

Catherine M. Nicholson 2761 Sampson Ave., Apt. 3A Bronx, NY 10465

Regina Nicora 1023 East 38th Street Brooklyn, NY 11210

Mercy Ntiamoah 1491 Macombs Road #5A Bronx, NY 10452

Olawunmi M. Oguntade 51 Bangor St. Staten Island, NY 10314

Joseph L. Ostaiza

12 E. Clarke Pl., Apt. 4B Bronx, NY 10452

Nkechinyere O. Oyedokun

34 Prospect St., Apt., B6-22 Yonkers, NY 10701

Norma Padmore 21 East 42st. Brooklyn, NY 11203

Herman Anthony Palmer 2017 Valentine Ave., Apt. 3E Bronx, NY 10457

James E. Pankey

1480 Parkchester Rd., Apt. 4D, Bronx, NY 10462

Francisca Pena 60 East 102nd St. Apt., 12G New York, NY 10029

Mirella Pena 982 Putnam Ave., Apt. 4B Brooklyn, NY 11221

Felix A. Pereyra 76-10 34th Ave., Apt 6K Jackson Hgts, NY 11372

Ramon A. Perez 452 W 149th St., Apt. 25 New York, NY 10031

Savitrie K. Persaud-Singh

660 Nereid Ave., Apt. 4C Bronx, NY 10470

Edna M. Pierre

5527 Jodie Ct., Apt. A4

Brooklyn, NY 11203

Merle Y. Porter 19 Louis Place Brooklyn, NY 11233

Karlene Patricia Pryce

55 S. Terrace Ave., Apt. 1

Mount Vernon, NY 10550

Madonna B. Ramos

29 W. 24th St., Apt. 3C

Bayonne, NJ 07002

Graciela R. Rodriguez 269 West 113th St. Apt., 3A New York, NY 10026

Ella Roscoe 1477 Grand Conourse, Apt. 2C Bronx, NY 10452

Papia Roy 91-18 139th St. Jamaica, NY 11435

Filocia Sainnevil 1209 Loring Ave., Apt. 8C Brooklyn, NY 11208

Claudia Saint Vil 79 Rushfield Lane Valley Stream, NY 11581

Sonia M. Salcedo 3719 83rd St., Apt. 32 Jackson Heights, NY 11372

Ann M. Samuel 2070 1st Avenue, Apt. 271 New York, NY 10029

Jane A. Seweh 576 E 165th St., Apt. 5C Bronx, NY 10456

Richard Anthony Sherman 1811 Albany Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11210

Miracia Silencieux 159-70 Harlem Riv. Dr. Apt.4D, New York, NY 10039

Dickson K. Sitaro 682 Ocean Ave., Apt. 4D Brooklyn, NY 11226

Hellena C. Slade 748 Macon St., PH Brooklyn, NY 11233

Yanina Sorokina 90 Gold St., Apt. 19A New York, NY 10038

Linda R. Spanato 55 Corsica Street Copiague, NY 11726

Jeanne Stapleton 173-06 Croydon Road Jamaica Estates, NY 11432

Sandreen D. Stewart 189-36 113th Road, #2 St. Albans, NY 11412

Dilia M. Stout 1135 University Ave., Apt.#3H Bronx, NY,

 Nursing home members celebrate ratifying

“This new money in our pockets will make a big difference to my family’s life.”

– Michelle Williams, 1199 Delegate and Dietary Aide, who has worked at Split Rock Nursing Home in the Bronx.

MARCH ON WASHINGTON WAS LED BY

The historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom is widely credited with paving the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. What is less well known about the event, at which Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his celebrated “I Have a Dream” speech, is its significance in 1199 history.

1199 leaders have been raising the banner of social justice since the union’s inception. They’ve never failed to emphasize the enduring connection between economic rights and civil rights. One of 1199’s earliest campaigns in 1930s New York City demanded the hiring of Black pharmacists and the promotion of Black porters to “soda men” – the job of dispensing egg creams and other soda-based drinks in the old pharmacies.

In 1963, the Union named its collective bargaining campaign “Operation First Class Citizenship,” similar to the March on Washington’s demand for “full citizenship.” The March – which was the Union’s first appearance onto the national stage—played an important role in committing 1199ers to the ongoing struggle for economic and social justice.

An army of 1,000 members boarded a New York City train to D.C. in the wee hours of Aug. 28. Members donned blue and white 1199 paper caps as they then made their way from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. One of their banners read: “America’s Fastest Growing Union Marches for Jobs and Freedom Now.”

The leaders of the March were close friends

LABOR UNIONS

Event provided 1199 with national exposure.

of 1199. A. Philip Randolph, the March’s director, was a legendary labor and civil rights champion. The renowned organizer Bayard Rustin served as Randolph’s chief lieutenant. From 1959 to 1962, the two also led the public-support campaign of 1199’s hospital organizing drive.

Many other leaders at the March had either already appeared at 1199 events, or would soon do so. Among them were Harry Belafonte (who later headed the Bread and Roses project) – Sidney Poitier, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, James Baldwin, Pete Seeger, Mahalia Jackson, Joan Baez, and Coretta Scott-King (who would become the honorary chair of 1199’s national organizing campaign).

Most of the 1199ers who attended the March on Washington have since passed away—but one current member named Bill Pigford, a unit specialist at Prince George’s Hospital in Cheverly, MD, remembers being there. Pigford organized buses from Mississippi while working with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)—two of the March on Washington’s major organizers.

Not long after the March, Pigford spent 30 days in Mississippi’s Laurel County Jail for taking part in a desegregation sit-in at a lunch counter in Laurel’s Pinehurst Hotel. He later served as a combat medic in Vietnam, retiring as an Army master sergeant in 1996. Pigford has worked at Prince George’s Hospital for more than a quarter of a century.

At age 80, “Mr. Bill,” as he is respectfully referred to by his coworkers, remains on the frontlines as an 1199 delegate. “The members believe in me,” Pigford says. And he believes there is still much to be done. “We have come a long way,” he emphasizes, “but the stroke of a pen can take away so much of what we have.”

Pigford’s trade unionism and civil rights work have taught him the urgency of solidarity. “We need to trust one another,” he says. “There is no ‘you’ without ‘me.’”

1199ers have kept Dr. King’s dream alive since 1963. Ten years ago, during observances of the

March on Washington’s 50th anniversary, the late 1199 retiree Monnie Callan was interviewed about her participation in the seminal event. “I grew up in a family where I was raised to stand up for basic rights,” she said. “It’s in my blood. And that’s why I attended the original march in ’63 with my husband and two young children.”

Lyndie Callan was just three when parents Monnie and Desmond took her to the March on Washington. Says Lyndie, “My mother not only ‘talked the talk,’ telling us about the importance of social activism—she also ‘walked the walk,’ taking us to rallies for civil rights and against the war in Vietnam. I am forever grateful for her example of what true justice

means, and for providing the tools to continue to fight for it.”

The same spirit also remains a powerful force in retiree Eve Sverdlove’s life. “My parents were activists and were involved in all progressive causes,” she says.

“My dad was a labor leader. I was 9-years-old when they attended the March on Washington. In 1968, when I was 14, I traveled with them to Washington (D.C.) for the Poor Peoples March. As a result of my upbringing, I’ve always wanted to help people in need. I chose healthcare as a profession and organized my co-workers to become members of 1199SEIU.

I’m retired now, but the struggles continue. Remembering and honoring my dad, I say, ‘We must never give up the good fight.’”

 top: 1199 members turn out in force for the March on Washington.

 Bottom left: The late Monnie Callan, a former 1199 social worker.

 Bottom right: Bill Pigford, an 1199 Delegate from Maryland.

“We must never give up the good fight.”

– Eve Sverdlove,

retiree

 The view from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC in 1963

Clara Maass nurses raise their voices outside their hospital with scores of fellow 1199ers by their sides. See page 16.