Staff retention was a key issue in the hard-fought campaign.

Hundreds of members at Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown, New York voted overwhelmingly in late November to ratify a new contract, securing 15 percent across-the-board wage increases over the next three years.

The agreement was reached after a lengthy campaign alongside community allies, calling on the hospital to increase wages to improve staffing and retention. The new contract includes increased base pay for key job titles, significantly higher on-call pay, and improved job security.

“When it comes to recruitment and retention–this contract is going to be game-changing for us,” said Sandra Gray, an 1199 Phlebotomy Specimen Processing Tech at the Middletown campus. “It’s really a big deal for us to help our staffing crisis.”

1199ers had called on Garnet Health over months of negotiations and public events with elected and community allies, to address below-market wages and invest in frontline workers and patient care

across the hospital network.

“If Garnet Catskills workers are going to go out and picket, I’ll go up there and picket with them,” said Dawn Cholewka, an 1199 Surgical Tech at the Middletown campus. “At the end of the day, we’re all 1199. And unity is what gets the job done.”

Workers at Garnet had been leaving in droves as wages fell below regional averages and failed to keep up with the cost of living. Members were unable to pay bills or stay in their community. Under the stress of short-staffing, workers in every department felt forced to leave the jobs they love—making the situation even worse.

Members were also worried about community members having to wait longer for treatment.

In 2023, emergency room wait times at Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown increased 16 percent, by an average of 254 minutes or 4.5 hours, and more than 1.5 hours longer than the national average.

Both New York State Assembly Member Aileen Gunther and Assembly Member-Elect Paula Kay joined 1199ers on the picket line during informational actions held in Middletown and Harris on November 7, while U.S. Congress Member Pat Ryan issued a statement of support. Bargaining at Garnet Health Medical Center Catskills, where 1199SEIU members continue to call on Garnet Health for better wages and working conditions to stop the drain of healthcare workers from Sullivan County’s only hospital, is ongoing.