Northampton, MA (May 16, 2017) – The following is a statement from Tyrék D. Lee, Sr., Executive Vice President of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, in response to the announcement about a free and fair election process at Cooley Dickinson Hospital:

“We have developed an agreement with Cooley Dickinson Hospital that outlines a free and fair election process and offers service and technical workers in specific units of the hospital’s workforce the opportunity to vote for or against joining our union. This agreement is another important step in our ongoing advocacy to ensure all workers – including those not yet unionized – have good jobs, fair wages and respect, dignity and a voice in the workplace.

As healthcare workers, we know that quality care is directly linked to quality jobs. Following a similar election process at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital in Boston, workers there voted overwhelmingly in March to unite with us in 1199SEIU. It is our hope that throughout our organizing campaign at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, we can demonstrate our union difference to the approximately 500 service and technical workers at Cooley – that uniting with over 56,000 1199SEIU healthcare workers across Massachusetts and more than 400,000 on the East Coast gives us the stability, strength and voice to build power for working families, fight for healthy and just communities and provide the quality care our patients need and deserve.

We look forward to our continued collaboration with Cooley President and CEO Joanne Marqusee and her team as we implement a free and fair election process that allows workers to make their own decisions about whether or not to join 1199SEIU.”

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Representing more than 56,000 healthcare workers throughout Massachusetts and over 400,000 workers on the East Coast, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. Our mission is to achieve affordable, high quality healthcare for all. 1199SEIU is part of the 2.1 million member Service Employees International Union.