Core Testing Facilities Workers Join 1199SEIU

Workers at Northwell Health’s Core Testing Facilities overwhelmingly voted to join 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East (“1199SEIU”). Over 850 staff including technologists, technicians, phlebotomists, customer service representatives and others filed for an election in July. The National Labor Relations Board counted the mail-in ballots yesterday certifying that over 80% of the lab workers voted to join the nation’s largest and fastest growing healthcare workers union. 

“This is our opportunity to fight for the benefits—healthcare, a pension, and more—that our Northwell peers have won as 1199 members,” said Roland Denis, a senior clinical lab assistant.

“We give our patients the best care possible–and now lab staff will have a real voice in our workplace. I’m excited to begin negotiating our first contract,” explained Narda Skyers, a phlebotomist for 18 years, who has worked at Northwell for the past three years. 

Employees at the Core Testing Facilities organized their own union for improved pay and benefits similar to what tens of thousands of 1199SEIU members at other Northwell facilities have already secured, including no-cost family health insurance, guaranteed pensions, education funds, childcare benefits and competitive wages. 

“Winning our union will better our lives and those of the patients who depend on our work,” said Shiller Dugue, a senior phlebotomist.

This is the second group of lab workers at Northwell Health which is New York State's largest healthcare provider and private employer, to organize in the past year. Hundreds of lab staff at the Little Neck facility voted to join 1199SEIU in December.