The professional unit at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers, NY, voted to join 1199SEIU in a near unanimous poll on January 18, bringing 60 new members into the Union family. The new titles included Medical Technologists, Pharmacists, Case Managers and Social Workers.

The service and technical units had been part of the Union for some time, but the professionals had proved harder to organize.

Member leader Yasser Gebrail, a Medical Technologist at St. Joseph’s, played a crucial role in the new organizing victory. Originally hired as a Medical Technician ten years ago, he understood at firsthand the value of Union benefits when he qualified for the professional title of Technologist.

“In the past, some of my co-workers were afraid to join the Union or they had received false information about what Union benefits really meant,” explained Gebrail. “During this campaign, I went around asking people personal questions like how much they had paid for medicines or co-pays.

One co-worker told me that he had recently paid $800 for dental treatment, for example.”

He then went over how the Union healthcare benefits would have saved them money. If they had children, Gebrail explained in detail how the 1199SEIU Childcare Fund benefits would help their families.

“When people saw how the Union would improve the lives of themselves and their families in a practical way,” said Gebrail, “They were ready to vote ‘Yes’ on their ballot”.

1199 Magazine: January - February 2022