Advancing Our Professions, Advocating for Our Patients
1199SEIU represents more professional healthcare workers than any other union in the nation.
And now, more professionals are joining 1199 than ever before. Why? Because with 1199, the specific concerns of every individual profession are heard and addressed. 1199 was originally founded by pharmacists over 80 years ago. Now, with more than 35,000 professional members in every field, we have the strength and expertise to get results. 1199 professionals have been able to win:
• Some of the highest wages in the country, plus higher pay for advanced skill levels and guaranteed yearly raises.
• Affordable healthcare for employee and family
• Retirement security
• Job protections
• No-cost or low-cost continuing education
• A strong, effective voice in staffing, scope of practice and patient care
• More paid time off
Ensuring our professional voice is heard.
Healthcare professionals often have very specific concerns that are particular to our field of work. When professionals join 1199, our voice is heard in a variety of ways:
• In many of our regions, professionals meet on regular basis, sometimes in formal “Professional Councils”, to decide priorities for continuing education opportunities, strategize for our legislative priorities, and address workplace issues.
• Many of our facilities have “Professional Practice Committees”, which meet with management to solve issues such as staffing and scope of practice.
• 1199 contracts often include special “addendums” which address in writing issues that are specific to certain professions.
Our professional voice in government.
Because our jobs, and healthcare in general, are highly regulated, 1199SEIU members have built the strongest, most effective voice for healthcare professionals in the government and regulatory arenas. Often times our legislative program is carried out in close collaboration with state and national professional associations.
We not only advocate for healthcare funding, patients’ rights and expanded access for the uninsured, we have also achieved major victories for specific professions around issues such as scope of practice and licensure. For example, we won licensure for laboratory technologists, respiratory therapists and social workers in New York State and have strong professional legislative agendas in other regions as well.
Types of professionals in 1199SEIU
1199SEIU represents every type of professional in hospitals and nursing homes throughout New York State, Maryland, Washington D.C., New Jersey and Massachusetts, including in areas such as:
• Pharmacy
• Imaging Technology
• Physical Therapy
• Physician Assistants
• Research Techs
• Social Workers
• Respiratory Therapy
• Laboratory
• Dietitians
• EMTs & Paramedics
• RNs and LPNs
