For Immediate Release:

Contact: Cara Noel, 1199SEIU, Cara.Noel@1199.org

Agreement provides wage increases and recognition pay, protects pensions and benefits for healthcare heroes

League, Union agree to add Juneteenth as a legal holiday for all 1199 employees

New York, NY – The League of Voluntary Hospitals and Homes of New York (the League) and 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East (1199SEIU) today announced a new three-year collective bargaining agreement that increases wages, provides recognition pay, and adds Juneteenth as a new legal holiday.

The agreement covers approximately 78,000 employees represented by 1199SEIU at about 90 hospitals and nursing homes in New York.

“1199 healthcare heroes have been through so much over the last 18 months, and it was critical that the contract reflect their sacrifices through wage increases, while also maintaining their stellar health, pension, educational, and childcare benefits,” said George Gresham, President of 1199SEIU. “We are also proud that this contract formally recognizes the importance of Juneteenth in our nation’s history and allows 1199 members at League facilities time to celebrate and recognize the day when freedom became a reality for every single American.”

“Our goal has always been an agreement that is fair, reasonable, and responsible for all of us, and this agreement is all those things,” said Marc Kramer, President of the League of Voluntary Hospitals and Homes. “We are proud to recognize the contributions and sacrifices of our 1199 employees, while acknowledging Juneteenth as the holiday it should be. New York’s hospitals provide the best healthcare in the world, and we look forward to three more years of doing that work.”

Upon ratification of the deal, all 1199 members at League institutions will receive a one-time $3,000 bonus payment in recognition of their work through the Covid pandemic.

Under the terms of the agreement, wages will increase 2 percent in the first year of the agreement, on October 1, 2021. Wages will increase 3 percent in the second year of the agreement (October 1, 2022) and again in the third year (October 1, 2023). All retirees will receive a one-time bonus worth 3 percent of their pension benefit. Existing worker benefits, including healthcare coverage with no out-of-pocket expenses, will be preserved.

The agreement also designates Juneteenth as a new legal holiday in addition to the existing holidays 1199 members at League institutions already receive.

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About the League: The League of Voluntary Hospitals and Homes of New York (LVHH or the League) is an association, formed in 1968, of 90 non-profit medical centers, hospitals, nursing homes and their affiliated facilities in the greater New York metropolitan area. The League acts as the bargaining agent for its members in labor contracts and represents them primarily in the negotiations with 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.

About 1199SEIU: 1199SEIU is the largest healthcare union in the nation, representing 450,000 healthcare heroes in New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Florida. The union represents healthcare workers in hospitals, nursing homes, private homes, and clinics, and its mission is to fight for quality care and good jobs for all.