On Friday, February 19th we welcomed nearly 6,000 Personal Assistants (PAs) at Concepts of Independence into the 1199SEIU family -- the largest group to join our Union in the last decade.

From Manhattan to upstate Plattsburgh, these workers provide personal care and other services to the elderly and people living with disabilities through New York’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). The program allows workers to provide self-directed care for consumers, including relatives and friends, which allows them to remain in the comfort and safety of their homes and maintain their independence and self-determination.

Concepts of Independence, founded in 1980 by individuals with disabilities who joined together to find a community-based alternative to institutionalization, is a non-profit organization that has long advocated for consumers and improvements to New York CDPAP. With compassion and dedication, these caregivers provide the self-directed services necessary to allow their consumers to live independently with freedom and dignity. By joining 1199, the workers now have a collective voice to fight for a better care system for all.

1199 is the nation’s largest healthcare union, with 450,000 members in five states and the District of Columbia. In New York alone, the union represents 75,000 home care and CDPAP workers.