Today we welcome more than 70 new members at Whittier Street Health Center on the southside of Boston, Massachusetts into the 1199SEIU family. 

The professional workers at Whittier decided by 50 votes to 9 to join our union so that they can have a voice at work by coming together with 1199SEIU. 

During their campaign, the clinic’s management fired 13 of the activists – going as far as invalidating their clinic entry passes while they were in the midst of treating patients.  

The 1199SEIU Massachusetts division mobilized and used all our political strength to mount a public campaign to engage politicians, including the Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh, in pushing back. Our activists were reinstated on the day of the vote last week and were surrounded by supporters marching in to the vote.  

By providing compassionate and professional care to thousands of people in the south Boston community, our colleagues at Whittier embody the spirit of the 1199 local. 

1199SEIU is the largest healthcare workers union in the US, with more than 420,000 members in five states along the Eastern seaboard. We are one of the fastest growing unions in the country. 

As well as having a larger say in their working lives, the newest members at Whittier voted to join our union for 1199’s pension, job security, affordable quality healthcare and educational benefits.