1
Florida 1199ers Gear Up for 2024 Election Battles
Work We Do: Celebrating Housekeeping and Food Service
UNITY IN DIVERSITY
September-October 2023
Home Care Members Bank Large Payouts in 24-hour Cases A Journal of 1199SEIU September-October 2023
CONTENTS
Embracing ethnic diversity is not only just, but it is also the key to maintaining our power.
19
10 4 Hispanic Heritage Month Two immigrant members describe their experiences. 5 The President’s Column Solidarity Matters
22
cover : A young 1199 family member enjoys the Dominican Day parade in Manhattan in August.
@1199seiu www.1199seiu.org 2
September-October 2023
1199 Magazine September-October 2023 Vol. 41 No.5 ISSN 2474-7009 Published by 1199SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East 498 Seventh Ave, New York, NY 10018 (212) 582-1890 www.1199seiu.org
Editorial: United We Stand
6 Around the Regions PCAs in MA on path to $25/hr; 1199ers in Upstate NY secure employment; Union help for Rite Aid members; Labor Day Upstate, NY; Memberled stress relief workshop; NYS Senior Action Council; 1199 home care member testifies in D.C; Brides March, NYC.
10 Celebrating Our Diverse Heritage Members build power while enjoying each other’s cultural expression. 14 Florida 1199ers on the Move Just as members and retirees gear up for the 2024 election in their tossup state, thousands are celebrating a landmark contract victory. 16 The Work We Do Celebrating our EVS and Food Service members.
19 Walking the Walk Union members travel to Washington, D.C. to pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King and continue the fight for racial equity in the United States. 20 It’s Payback Time 1199 home care members enjoy large payouts after Unionled legal action. 22 Our History 1199’s Historical Political Influence in the South.
As 1199ers, we all know that our strength at the bargaining table— where we routinely achieve some of the best healthcare contracts in the country —comes primarily from our unity. The bosses know this too, and they also know that one of the most effective methods of diminishing our power is by sowing divisions between us. Management will always be motivated to try to prevent us coming together in the large numbers we need to win. That’s why we must be steadfast when it comes to welcoming all members into our union family, regardless of their ethnic background or country of origin. From the earliest days of 1199, we have always cherished our diverse make up. In the 1930s, Jewish pharmacists, who were being denied hospital work because of religious discrimination, made common cause with service workers in NYC’s major hospitals – who themselves were facing racial discrimination. Fast forward almost a century and we still treasure the diversity in our Union, which also welcomes newcomers to the United States with open arms. So, when politicians like NYC Mayor Eric Adams make inflammatory comments about people seeking asylum, we are bound to cry foul. Many of our members are immigrants themselves and the 1199 jobs they find when they reach our shores often provide their first foothold on the path to enjoying the American dream (See 1199 Welcomes Immigrants, p. 4). To demonstrate our Union's commitment to diversity over the summer months, 1199ers of every ethnic background can be seen honoring each other’s cultural traditions during parade season (See Celebrating our Diverse Heritage, p. 10). It is not just immigrants who face discrimination in the United States, of course. The fight for racial equity is also deeply woven into the Union’s DNA. When it comes to commemorating significant milestones in the civil rights movement, 1199ers will always turn out. (See Walking the Walk, p. 19) And as the country gears up for
president
George Gresham secretary treasurer
Milly Silva senior executive vice presidents
Yvonne Armstrong Maria Castaneda Veronica TurnerBiggs executive vice presidents
Jacqueline Alleyne Lisa Brown Roger Cummerbatch Tim Foley Todd Hobler Patricia Marthone Brian Morse Joyce Neil Roxey Nelson Rona Shapiro Gregory Speller Daine Williams Nadine Williamson editor
Sarah Wilson art direction and design
Maiarelli Studio director of photography
Kim Wessels contributors
Leyla Adali Marlishia Aho April Ezzell JJ Johnson
Albert Tercero
the 2024 general election campaign, it is more important than ever for working people to unite around elected representatives with a proven track record on issues like affordable healthcare and housing, rather than being swayed by dishonest right-wing rhetoric around immigration.
From the earliest days of 1199, we have always cherished our diverse make up.
Just as this edition goes to press, the extremists in the Republican caucus of the House of Representatives had come dangerously close to forcing a Federal Government shutdown. While these elected officials represent just 1.8% of the country, they have been able to wield enormous power. We know that if we remain united and focused that we too can exercise our own power at the ballot box (See 1199’s Political Influence in the South, p. 22). There is never a good reason for division and discrimination along ethnic or racial lines. But there is almost always a clear motive – dividing working people in order to reduce our power.
1199 Magazine is published six times a year—January/ February, March/ April, May/June, July/ August, September/ October, November/ December—for $15.00 per year by 1199SEIU, United Healthcare Workers E. 498 Seventh Ave, New York, NY 10018 Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 1199 Magazine, 498 Seventh Ave, New York, NY 10018
1199 Magazine
3
OUR UNION
1199 Welcomes Immigrants In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month in September, two members share their stories.
Ana Medina is an 1199SEIU Delegate and home care worker who emigrated to the US from Mexico as a child and gained her citizenship earlier this year. “The story of an immigrant to this country begins for various reasons, we come here wanting to sustain for ourselves and our families, not wanting to be a burden
“The story of an immigrant starts differently for each individual, but we are human beings who are just looking to live and contribute to the world.” – Ana Medina
Ana Medina, 1199 Home Care member from Mexico. Ramon Carmona, 1199 Social Worker from the Dominican Republic. 4
July-August 2023 2023 September-October
to anyone. But we have the title of immigrant which can mean being shamed, discriminated against, pushed aside and treated like outcasts. Many of us work tirelessly in conditions where there is often no union and therefore no fair agreement to receive healthcare and other benefits, even when we are contributing to society. Immigrants are sometimes seen as people who simply take from the US and do not give. I left Mexico when I was only fifteen years old, saying goodbye to my family and not realizing that it would take me years to be able to return and see them again. For some family members, it wasn’t possible to say goodbye to them, before they parted with this world. I hold the memory of them and all my years before fifteen-year-old me close to my heart. “When I first arrived here, I knew little to no English and had very few connections to receive help in any form, and I was dealing with the stress of having to take care of my two children while being a child myself. I was also experiencing domestic violence and constantly belittled and shut down when dealing with case workers regarding my situation and children, no one would listen to me even when everything was laid out in front of them. Years passed and I began to learn in small ways how to look out for my children and myself. I began speaking and understanding more English and attempted working many times before finding home care work
with an 1199SEIU agency, where the benefits helped me to get my citizenship. I met people in home care who would actually sit and understand what I was saying. Working in this field has allowed me to sustain for myself and grow as a person in so many ways that were beyond the imagination of fifteen-year-old me. The story of an immigrant starts differently for each individual, but we are human beings who are just looking to live and contribute to the world.” Ramon Carmona is an 1199SEIU Delegate and bilingual Social Worker at the Department of Behavioral Health in Washington, D.C. “My parents arrived in the U.S. at separate times before I was born to work and take a chance on providing greater opportunities for their children. Once the family gained enough money, they brought us here and we went through the citizenship process. We lived in the Bronx while they slowly worked their way up the ladder. We lived in a disciplined environment where education was of the utmost importance. I became one of the first of my family to attend and graduate college. By this time, I had grown to love the US while maintaining a strong bond with my native culture and native country. I felt we were achieving the American dream. Through my experiences growing up and knowing first-hand what it was like coming from basically nothing money-wise, I could empathize with those around me in similar situations needing help and advocacy to achieve success in life. It was one of the reasons why I believe I had a natural inclination to help others and eventually it was one of the reasons I decided to join 1199 SEIU as a Delegate. It was as if it was a natural calling for me to help others in need. One of my greatest hopes is to continue to inspire the next generation in my family, my daughters, to learn more about their Dominican culture, about the country’s history, people, customs, and maintain the same pride and joy I have for my beautiful native homeland.
Solidarity Matters Let’s not forget that 1199 is part of a larger labor movement. Worker wins in any industry benefit us all. The President’s Column by George Gresham
This past Labor Day, I got to thinking how so many people in our country give no thought to the meaning of the occasion. It’s the end of summer, time to get in a final barbecue, maybe get the kids ready to go back to school, or maybe just kick back and relax during a long weekend. Actually, Labor Day came about 140 years ago, when New York City’s early trade unions were fighting for an eight-hour workday and demanded recognition for the achievements and worth of the working class. Those achievements and that worth are still awaiting proper recognition. (The CEOs—American oligarchs like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos— are celebrated in the media, which, of course, they own 365 days a year.) Especially this year, with labor organizing and ferment on the rise, and with public opinion polls showing 70 percent approval rate for unions, it is time we all showed our solidarity. A year ago, the big labor story was the explosion of new organizing by rank-and-file workers in chains and corporations like Amazon, Starbucks, Chipotle and Trader Joes. This year, a number of the bigger traditional unions— under new leadership—have confronted the country’s biggest corporations. Mainly because some of them are celebrities, the 160,000-strong strike of movie and TV actors now in its fourth month has gotten some national attention. Their 11,000 colleagues who write the scripts had just reached a tentative agreement at press time after being on strike since May. Typically, the CEOs who run the entertainment studios and pay themselves hundreds of millions of dollars to do
so, show little understanding, let alone sympathy for the writers, actors, crews and Teamsters who do the actual work. This summer, UPS was pushed to the wall by a threatened strike by 340,000 Teamsters Union members—it would have been the largest single-employer strike in US history—before finally settling a contract. In addition to substantial wage and benefit increases, including for part-timers, the contract gives the workers new safety protections. Truck drivers and warehouse workers are going to look at this contract and say: “I want my pay to go up. I want to be protected from heat hazards. I want to be treated fairly in the workplace.” This contract is a powerful indication that joining the union gets you those things.
Roughly 75,000 healthcare workers at the giant California healthcare system, Kaiser Permanente mounted a three-day strike in early October. Members of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West voted to strike over complaints that pay has not kept pace with inflation and understaffing has led to long wait times and the neglect of patients. Also dramatic was the fight of the United Auto Workers for a fair contract. The pay disparity between the auto industry oligarchs and the women and men who do the actual work is stark. Mary Barra, for example, has received more than $200 million in compensation since becoming GM's CEO in 2014. Barra was paid 362 times more than the automaker's median employee in 2022. "The CEOs gave themselves 40 percent pay increases in the last four years alone," United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain
We who do the work, who produce the goods, who deliver the services, provide the healthcare, never ever get the respect nor the compensation due to us unless we organize, unite and fight for it. said from the picket line. "And they want to call us greedy." Workers across the country are paying attention. According to CNN polling, 75 percent of Americans support the UAW and only 19 percent support the bosses. In the first half of 2023, the Big Three automakers made a combined $23 billion in profits— up 80 percent from the same time period last year. Over the past decade, these same companies made roughly $250 billion in profits in North America alone. That’s a quarter of a trillion dollars. Meantime, the average wage for American autoworkers has decreased by 30 percent over the past two decades, after adjusting for inflation. It's the same age-old story across industries—oil and chemical, pharmaceuticals, banking, retail sales, mass media or shipping or healthcare. We who do the work, who produce the goods, who deliver the services, provide the healthcare, never ever get the respect nor the compensation due to us unless we organize, unite and fight for it. “Power concedes nothing without a struggle,” Frederick Douglass wrote 150 years ago. “It never has and it never will.” We 1199ers know this well but it always helps to remind ourselves.
1199 Magazine
5
Florida Maryland Massachusetts New Jersey New York Washington, D.C.
Around the Regions MASSACHUSETTS
Home care members in MA win path to $25/hr In a groundbreaking settlement, the 58,000 Personal Care Attendants (PCA) in Massachusetts who are paid directly by the state government to work in home care, have ratified a new three-year contract that creates a pathway to earning $25 per hour. "I grew up watching my mom care for seniors in their homes,
and I have a deep appreciation for the important work that Personal Care Attendants do," said Massachusetts Governor, Maura Healey. "Our administration is proud to reach this historic agreement that provides fair pay and benefits for PCAs that reflect the heroic contributions they make to Massachusetts families." The PCA workforce is
“I will be making $23/ hr by 2026, which will allow me to have peace of mind and help change the narrative about the value of home care.” – Janice Guzman
PCA members lobby in Boston to secure a strong contract.
comprised mostly of women and people of color. The contract centers equity and helps remove barriers to retention. Home care remains one of the fastest growing jobs in the country, but also one of the lowest paid. Other highlights of the contract include a new wage scale based on experience, retirement savings accounts, paid professional development opportunities, and a wage differential for workers who care for clients with complex healthcare needs. "For far too long, PCAs have been expected to do this job without adequate wages that allow us to care for ourselves and our families, which is reminiscent of how domestic work has been undervalued even as it makes all other work possible,” said Janice Guzman, a PCA from Worcester. “I will be making $23/hr by 2026, which will allow me to have peace of mind and help change the narrative about the value of home care.” PCAs provide high quality care for seniors and people with disabilities, ensuring that these individuals can live at home independently, safely and with dignity. Massachusetts is home to more than one million seniors and almost 500,000 adults living with a disability. Yet, a shortage of home care workers across the country has strained the industry and put lives at risk. This has united PCAs and those they care for to take action. PCA wages will have gone up by 131% through the end of this contract since forming a union with 1199 back in 2008.
NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY
Union Help for Rite Aid Members As Rite Aid begins closing stores in New York City and New Jersey amid reports that it is planning to file for bankruptcy, 1199 has been holding regular meetings with members to help ease their path into new jobs in healthcare. 1199 Pharmacists who have been laid off by the drug store chain will be given priority for avail6
September-October 2023
able job openings in Union hospitals and clinics. Retail staff considering a career change can access programs run by the 1199SEIU Training and Education Fund. For more information about the fund’s workshops on job seeking strategies, resume writing, cover letters, and interviewing skills, click the QR code or call 844-833-1199.
“Because of 1199, we will keep all our wages and benefits at the same level. This is a big thing for me after 20 years.” – Michelle Salay, 1199 Delegate and MRI Technologist
NEW YORK
1199 Contract Ensures Employment amid Closures After 41 years at Eastern Niagara Hospital, 1199 RN Louise Williams is preparing to join the staff at the brand-new Lockport Memorial Hospital being built nearby and due to open in mid-October. Williams was born at Eastern Niagara–which closed in June after 115 years. Both her mother and aunt also worked there, too, so the move is bitter-
sweet for many reasons. “I will miss the old hospital,” says Williams, “But I am very grateful for my Union contract which will preserve my decades of seniority. Otherwise, I would have had to start at the bottom all over again." Michelle Salay, an 1199 Delegate and MRI Technologist who will also be moving from Eastern Niagara to Lockport, says, “Be-
cause of 1199, we will keep all our wages and benefits at the same level. This is a big thing for me after 20 years.” The new hospital will serve a community of 80,000 people. Management has agreed to employ all the Union employees from Eastern Niagara. “I don’t know what we’d have done without 1199SEIU,” adds Salay.
UPSTATE NEW YORK
Upstate 1199ers Celebrate Labor Day On September 4, members from Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse came together in marches across New York State in honor of Labor Day. Percy Jackson, an 1199 Delegate in the Food and Nutrition Department at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, says the day means a lot to him because of his secure employment and healthcare. Strong Transport Assistant Charles Lentine, meanwhile, says Labor Day represents, “1199 and all the hard work our members put in every year.”
Rendering of the new Lockport Memorial Hospital located north of Buffalo, NY. 1199ers from Rochester, NY, march to celebrate Labor Day on September 4.
1199 Magazine
7
Around the Regions
NEW YORK
“Members have had to deal with so much during the past few years, and it took a lot out of us.”
Members lead Stress-relief Workshop
– Anjelique Huerta, 1199 Shift Supervisor and Delegate at the Rite Aid
The New York cohort of members who took part in the Union-led Member Leadership Development Program identified a need to address the ongoing effects of stress that many healthcare professionals are still experiencing as a result of the pandemic. “Like so many others, I suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from that time,” recalls Nicole Frith, an 1199 Delegate and LPN at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn. “So, we organized a workshop at the Union headquarters with yoga, breathing techniques and information about diet and exercise, as well as acupuncture, massage and counseling that our health plan provides.” Anjelique Huerta, an 1199 Shift Supervisor and Delegate at the Rite Aid pharmacy in Astoria, Queens, agrees. “Members have had to deal with so much during the past few years, and it took a lot out of us. The goal of our workshop was to share the tools, so we could incorporate stress management into our daily lives.”
WASHINGTON D.C.
1199 Home Care Member Testimony in Washington, D.C. Lilieth Clacken, an 1199 home care member for eight years with the Region Care and All Metro agencies, traveled to the nation’s capital to advocate for her fellow members at the U.S. Department of Labor. Clacken spoke passionately about coming together to create strong union contracts that level the playing field, and ensure workers are protected as they navigate the often unpredictable working environments in home care. After listening to childcare workers speak of the uncertainties of working without contracts, Lilieth stressed the role of the union in educating workers on their rights and creating a support system that advocates for the unique needs of caregivers. 1199 home care member, Lilieth Clacken, speaks at the U.S. Department of Labor. Retirees attend the Senior Action Council in Saratoga Springs, NY.
NEW YORK
Building Strength to Fight Domestic Violence On September 26, members took part in the annual Brides’ March in Upper Manhattan in honor of Gladys Richart, who was killed on her wedding day by a jealous exboyfriend. Women wearing wedding dresses marched from Manhattan to the Bronx alongside community allies and elected officials to uplift all those struggling against domestic violence, which continues to plague our communities. 8
September-October 2023
NEW YORK
NYS Senior Action Council Convention Members pull together a stressrelief workshop at the Union headquarters in NYC. Members take part in the annual Brides March in NYC.
1199 Retirees traveled to Saratoga Springs, NY to attend the statewide Senior Action Council Convention from Sept 11-13 aimed at improving the lives of senior citizens. People over 65 now make up more than 20 percent of New York State’s total population. 1199 Magazine
9
OUR MEMBERS
Celebrating our Diverse
Heritage 4
1-2. 1199ers made up one of the largest contingents at the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City on Sunday, June 11, where Boriquen pride was on proud display. Milly Silva, 1199SEIU Secretary Treasurer, led the Union procession as one of the 2023 honorees. 3. On Sunday, August 13, members lined Manhattan’s 6th Avenue for the National Dominican Day Parade – coming together in joy, solidarity and strength.
1
Members build power while enjoying each other’s cultural expression.
3
5
4-5. Union kids pulled together a glittering spectacle in Brooklyn on Saturday, September 2, when they showed off their vibrant outfits at the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) Junior Carnival.
2 10
September-October 2023
1199 Magazine
11
OUR MEMBERS
6
7
8
9
6-7. On Monday, September 4th, it was the turn of 1199’s adult masqueraders to display their West Indian American cultural pride in all its glory. 8-9. Marching under the banner of solidarity with striking union members at the Writers Guild, UAW and SAG-AFTRA, as well as UPS members celebrating victory and newly organized Starbucks Workers United shops still fighting for a settlement, 1199ers filled Manhattan’s 5th Avenue on Saturday, September 9th for the NYC Labor Day Parade. 10-11. Celebrating Black heritage, culture, unity, and power, members came together on Sunday, September 17th, for the African American Day Parade in Harlem. 10
11
12
September-October 2023
1199 Magazine
13
POLITICS
Significant wage increases for 10,000 Florida members at HCA hospitals Raphael Coco, who retired in 2015 and moved to Florida, enjoys the fellowship.
Florida 1199ers
On the Move Just a members and retirees gear up for the 2024 election in their tossup state, thousands are celebrating a landmark contract victory.
1199 retirees from Florida take part in their annual picnic in Miami.
1199 retirees in Florida kicked off the upcoming national election season with their annual picnic, held in Miami. “Many of us have moved to Florida with good pensions and secure retirements, but only after working long and hard in New York to build strong union power in our workplaces and in politics,” explained attendee Diana Drayton, a retired 1199 blood transfusion technologist who moved to Miami
in 2021, adding: “We need all workers and union members in Florida to get engaged while on the job and at the ballot box to bring the same security and benefits to our working families here.” Retirees and members in Florida, as well as Georgia and North Carolina, have been working hard to get out the vote through phone-banking and canvassing for many years and the 2024 election will be no exception.
Rafael Coco was an Alcohol Rehabilitation Counselor at Bronx Lebanon Hospital, who retired and moved to Florida in 2015. He attended the picnic to meet like-minded retirees in his adopted state. “I know how important it is to elect representatives who care about working people” he said, “It is harder to organize here than it is in New York. People are much more spread out and everyone drives in a car to get anywhere.” As well as getting out the vote, 1199ers are lending their voices to a Florida campaign to put abortion rights on the 2024 general election ballot following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion last year. If the ballot initiative goes ahead, it would give Floridians the chance to vote down a potential 6-week abortion ban that is looming on the horizon in the sunshine state. Deborah Montgomery, an 1199 RN and lactation consultant who lives in Palm Beach and works in one of the area’s largest hospitals. With the Union’s help, she recently published an opinion piece in the Palm Beach Post explaining the dangers of the new legislation. “I already see first-hand the tragedies that result from dangerous, forced or unwanted pregnancies, wrote Montgomery,
14
September-October 2023
“Babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with little hope for a healthy, happy life, and young mothers and families feeling heartbreak. “As always with this falsely righteous [Florida Governor Ron DeSantis] regime, the new law will most hurt women and communities who need the most compassion and support. Lowincome women, already challenged by lack of access to affordable healthcare, will not be able to afford to travel to another state that provides proper reproductive and abortion rights.”
“I know how important it is to elect representatives who care about working people” – Rafael Coco, retiree
After taking part in a national campaign with partner locals across the country, Florida 1199 members ratified a landmark contract with HCA Healthcare in August, including significant wage increases over the next three years for the lowest earners. Jennifer Parker, is a Unit Secretary who has works at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital, located in Kissimmee, on the southern outskirts of Orlando for 23 years. An active member of the bargaining committee, she said: “This contract is huge for us. It is the largest percentage raise that I have ever had.” After months of hard bargaining, HCA was also persuaded to lift the salary caps for the first two years of the contract. This meant that Parker, who has not had a raise in eight years, was able to benefit along with thousands of other long-serving members. The three-year contract covers about 10,000 nurses, CNAs, technicians, dietary aides and other healthcare workers in 19 Florida HCA hospitals and also includes wage equity for new employees. This means that when a new hire is brought in at a higher rate than current employees with a similar job title and comparable experience, HCA must raise their existing employees to the new, higher rate. It is not just dramatic wage improvements that members won. There was a significant step forward towards managing the staffing crisis. Contract language was agreed which now requires HCA to compensate workers if they are called off a shift that is understaffed or results in understaffing. Management must provide a copy of the staffing matrix if requested and must allow posting for all employees to see. Florida members, including Parker, turned out in strength with partner locals at a high-profile action in front of HCA headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee. 1199ers also took part in a national action in Los Angeles and gave interviews with toptier media outlets to help turn the tide in the negotiations. 1199 Magazine
15
The Work We Do
1
Providing world-beating hospital care is not just about the healthcare that 1199 members deliver at the bedside. The Union members who ensure that the patients’ rooms are kept clean are just as important. Making sure that the hospital is free from dust that can aggravate respiratory conditions and bacteria that can cause infections is crucial. For patients whose conditions require a long-term stay in the hospital, the Environmental Services (EVS) team members are also friendly faces that they can see and talk to every day. The same goes for the 1199ers who work at the food services concessions, where anxious relatives can find a soothing bite to eat. While Starbucks workers around the country are battling to form unions and negotiate fair pay and conditions, the Starbucks concessions at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan are staffed by 1199 members who enjoy all the good wages, healthcare and pension benefits of a League contract.
2 1. Iluminada Guzman is a Delegate who understands the value of Union benefits. She worked in home care for 20 years before joining the NY Presbyterian Children’s Hospital EVS staff four years ago. She works on a ward where children are looked after while waiting for heart transplants. “Sometimes the children are there for many months. We become like a second family to them, as we see them every day,” says Guzman. “Occasionally the families get to know us so well that they take us into their confidence and tell us things that they don’t even share with the doctors.”
3
2. For Claudette Vassel who works on the EVS team at the NY Presbyterian Children’s Hospitals Cardiology, Neurology and Epilepsy monitoring ward, looking after the needs of children is similar to caring for the elderly. “I used to work in home care and for taking care of the elderly you need a soft touch. I came to the hospital five years ago after a friend who worked at the main campus suggested that I apply. I’m a serious worker and I never get in trouble. I love making sure that everything is clean.”
3. Yajaira Morel Gomez used to work in a restaurant before joining the hospital’s EVS team. She cleans the rooms in the ward where parents stay for a few days after giving birth. “It is a happy place. Parents are enjoying the arrival of their new babies,” she says, “But newborn babies are very fragile. I understand how important it is to keep their rooms free from germs that could cause infection. I’m a mother myself and I know how precious our children are."
“I’m a mother myself and I know how precious our children are” – Yajaira Morel Gomez
16
September-October 2023
1199 Magazine
17
OUR UNION
The Work We Do
Walking the Walk Union members traveled to Washington, D.C. to pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King and continue the fight for racial equity in the United States.
4 4. Jasmine Parker is a Barista at the Starbucks concession in the Milstein building at the hospital and is in training to become an 1199 Delegate. “We have a pretty amazing contract and I wanted to make sure that other members know what is in it, so they don’t get walked over.” When the Starbucks opened almost five years ago, Parker was already working in Food Service at the hospital. “They told us it was the face of the hospital, the first thing that people see when they walk in. I like talking to people, so I applied and got the job.” Looking after two kids, aged 8 and 13, she is also glad to have the extra cash from the recent League reopener contract that the Union bargaining committee negotiated last March. “We know that our wages are higher than the average Starbucks barista, thanks to our 1199 contract.” 5. In the same ward as Guzman is EVS member, Petronila Reyes, who has worked at the hospital for 20 years and was recently presented with a Shining Star award from the hospital for the quality of her work. “I like to help people,” she says, “When they take the
18
September-October 2023
5 babies out of their intensive care beds to do further tests, I always make sure to go in and do a deep clean. For me it is so important that these fragile babies are protected from infection.” With five children of her own aged between 8 and 23, Reyes has benefited from the 1199SEIU Child Care Fund over the years. Her daughter is now studying pre-law with the help of the Fund’s Joseph Tauber Scholarship Program at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
“We know that our wages are higher than the average Starbucks barista, thanks to our 1199 contract.” – Jasmine Parker
It has been 60 years since 1199 members and their families traveled to Washington DC to march alongside fellow civil rights campaigners as they demanded voting rights. On that day in late August 1963, members heard Dr Martin Luther King, Jr deliver his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech. To commemorate the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and in recognition of the fact that the fight for racial justice continues to this day, members again boarded buses on August 26, 2023 to make their voices heard in the continuing fight for civil rights, equality and economic justice for all.
“We know that 60 years ago to the day, Dr Martin Luther King marched here on these grounds fighting for the rights of workers and equality. That means a lot to me as a person of color.”
Norkecha Battle, traveled all the way from Springfield, MA, to attend the march. She said: “I’m so excited to be here today. We know that 60 years ago to the day, Dr Martin Luther King marched here on these grounds fighting for the rights of workers and equality. That means a lot to me as a person of color. We’re here today to represent the workers of America, not just for minority groups. We’re here for all people. We’ve come so far, and we still have far to go. But I’m happy to be here today, making history.” An 1199 Social Worker from Baltimore, Keith Booth, agreed: “It’s a historical moment. I was about six years old when the March on Washington took place with the late great Dr Martin Luther King. I’m here in commemoration of that history, which is part of American history, our history. I’m also here to deal with the issues in the present time —inequality in the health care profession, for example. I’m here in support of all workers.
Members from across 1199 regions travel to Washington D.C. to promote racial equity.
– Norkecha Battle, PCA from Springfield, MA
1199 Magazine
19
OUR MEMBERS
Fransisco Javier, 1199 home care member Agnes Atkins, 1199 home care member Barbara Saunders, 1199 home care member
It’s Payback Time 1199 home care members enjoy large payouts after Union-led legal action.
Francisco Javier emigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic with his family in 2007. Like so many 1199 home care members who come here to build a better life, he faced an uphill struggle when he first arrived. “It was very difficult for us to find work at the beginning,” he remembers. But he was eventually able to find stable employment in an 1199 home care agency sixteen years ago, and for the past eleven years he has worked a 24-hour case. He did not realize that his employer was not paying for legally required sleep and meal breaks until after 2015 when the Union negotiated language in its contracts ensuring that employers would pay for sleep and meal break interruptions. In 2019, the Union filed a class action grievance to seek compensation for those times when workers were not compensated properly on 24-hour shifts, as well as when workers did not receive travel time between cases and other wage violations. It was a long fight, but last year the arbitrator made a historic decision
covering more than 100,000 current and former 1199SEIU home care at 42 New York City agencies. In April of this year, over 57,000 workers who submitted claims, received funds totaling $34 million. This was a landmark arbitration victory—the largest for homecare workers ever.
“It was very difficult for us to find work at the beginning.”
“I looked after a woman who suffered from schizophrenia. She was living with her brother who passed away. I was like family to her,” says Saunders who recently moved to Utica in Upstate NY to be nearer to her own son after 40 years living in Brooklyn. As for the payout, she says: “I
– Francisco Javier, 1199 home care worker 20
September-October 2023
For Javier, the payout of almost $8,000 from the Special Wage Fund was a “huge help” and enabled him to pay off back rent. Most of the money will be sent back to the Dominican Republic. For instance, he employed a technician to install an air conditioner in his 89-year-old mother’s house there. Javier is also planning to invest in property for his own retirement. Barbara Saunders is another 1199 home care member who received almost $8,000 from the fund. She retired in 2021 after almost 30 years as an HHA. “I was so excited to get the check. My heart is still beating fast! I thought I was going to get about $300 from the Special Wage Fund. But it turned out to be nearly $8,000,” she remembers.
used roughly $2,000 of the award to pay outstanding bills. The rest went into savings. I now have an emergency fund for the first time in my life.” Another 1199 home care member, Agnes Aikins, also received a large reward of nearly $8,000. She recently bought her own home in Suffolk County, Long Island and was able to put the money from the Special Wage Fund towards paying down the principal on her home loan. The grievance which led to class action was made possible because 1199 home care workers negotiated language in their collective bargaining agreements allowing them to pursue wage and hour violations through arbitration. This meant that workers could be represented by the union in these cases and did not have to pay for lawyers of their own. Before 2016, most employers did not have procedures in place to pay for sleep and meal interruptions on 24-hour shifts. In 2015, the Union negotiated language in the Collective Bargaining Agreements to ensure such payment procedures were in place. Since then, the Union has worked hard to ensure that workers know the procedures for reporting sleep and meal interruptions. Once again, 1199 homecare workers have proven that there is strength in numbers, and that union power can make a real difference in their lives.
“I was so excited to get the check. My heart is still beating fast!” – Barbara Saunders, retired home care member 1199 Magazine
21
OUR HISTORY
1199’S HISTORICAL POLITICAL INFLUENCE IN THE
SOUTH Long before 1199 had even organized healthcare institutions in the South, members were participating in solidarity actions, contributing funds and traveling to the region to take part in political campaigns. 1199 joined the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in the 1930s, in part because the federation believed in organizing all workers regardless of status or region. The leadership understood that key to labor solidarity was the fight against racism and discrimination. The cultural work of the Union reflected that understanding. For example, 1199ers flocked to Union-produced plays and musicals about civil rights struggles. The Union launched its annual Salute to Freedom celebration not long after the presentation of a play dramatizing the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi. Many award recipients, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., made their way to those events directly from campaigns in the South. In the 1950s, members reached into their pockets and pocketbooks to contribute to the Montgomery bus boycott to integrate public transportation. In 1960, 1199ers picketed New York City Woolworth stores in solidarity with Southern students battling segregation. In the late 1960s, Coretta Scott King served as honorary chair of the Union’s national organizing committee. In 2004, the work of 1199ers and their allies in Florida, especially in the Latino and Black communities, laid the groundwork for later victories. That deep commitment to racial equity kept the Union active in the South well into the next century. For example, 1199ers marched and rallied with Florida SEIU members to press for an honest recount of Florida votes after the contested 2000 presidential election. The 2008 national elections marked a high point for 1199 both in the South and around the nation. Members wanted to help make history by propelling the then Senator, Barack Obama, to become the 22
September-October 2023
The Union has been working (and winning) in the southern states for decades.
nation’s first Black president. Beginning in July, some 400 Union members and staff were deployed in 18 states, including Florida, Virginia and North Carolina. Hundreds took buses and vans to swing states. SEIU members, including 1199ers, knocked on over three million doors and completed over 16 million phone calls. One canvasser repeated Obama’s call to voters: “We are the people we have been waiting for.” Barbara Holmes, a CNA at St. Cabrini NH in Dobbs Ferry, NY, worked in North Carolina. “Canvassing was a new experience for me,” she said. “But my family encouraged me to be part of history. When I saw that Senator Obama had won, I shouted, ‘Lord, thank you.’” Obama carried North Carolina, Virginia and Florida. In 2012, the 1199 Magazine traveled throughout Florida to report on members’ election work’ — noting how 1199SEIU Florida was the fastest-growing union in the Sunshine State and helping voters to successfully reverse the state’s flawed purge system — a scheme that had threatened to disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters. Rafael Suarez, a CNA at Kissimmee’s Osceola Regional Medical Center, and a former New York City hospital worker, was among the Member Political Organizers (MPOs) interviewed. He stressed that he was working on the campaign because he saw the close connection between political work and union work. “We have to elect politicians who support health care and are willing to stand up for patients and workers,” Suarez said. His message resonated with members. “I’m a registered Republican and I’m voting for President Obama,“ said Karen Quattlebaum, a surgical tech at Largo Medical Center in the Tampa region. That fall, President Obama repeated his victory in the state. Members were also called upon to fight for voting rights in the South the following year. They were among 940 protesters arrested over 13 consecutive
“We have to elect politicians who support health care and are willing to stand up for patients and workers.” – Rafael Suarez, a CNA at Kissimmee’s Osceola Regional Medical Center in Florida
“Moral Mondays” led by then North Carolina NAACP President Rev. Dr. William Barber. The actions included civil rights, labor, environmental and
other progressive groups. It also drew the support of hundreds of retired 1199 members living in North and South Carolina In 2016, Governor Pat McCrory – a target of the Moral Monday demonstrations – was the only incumbent Republican in the country to lose a statewide race. 1199ers joined Georgia retirees in 2020, too, as they pounded the pavement and knocked on doors to win close victories for President Joe Biden and Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. They did it again in 2022, helping to reelect Warnock to the U.S. Senate. Those victories were decisive in preventing far-right control of Congress’ upper chamber.
Top: 1199ers like Tyrome Bell (pictured) register thousands of voters in Jacksonville, Florida in 2004 Bottom: Community activists join 1199ers in Orlando in 2004. Members campaign in Sunrise, Florida in 2004.
1199 Magazine
23
1199 Delegate Iluminada Guzman joined the EVS team at NY Presbyterian Children’s Hospital four years ago after two decades as a home care member. See page 16.
1199 Magazine
24
