Laboratory staff picketed Northwell’s Little Neck Parkway Laboratory earlier today. The laboratory technologists, laboratory technicians, laboratory accessioners, and clinical laboratory assistants, members of 1199SEIU, were joined by community supporters and other union members. The Queens laboratory is part of Northwell Health which is New York State's largest healthcare provider and private employer. 

"We deserve the same type of compensation that tens of thousands of other 1199SEIU members have won in their contracts with Northwell–and nothing less. We voted for our union almost a year ago and it’s time for Northwell to respect us and settle a fair contract,” said Jesse McDade, a Clinical Laboratory Technologist. 

In December, 100 laboratory professionals voted to form a union with 1199SEIU. For over six months, the workers have been fighting for a fair contract. Yet, management continues to refuse their pleas for improved compensation similar to what union members at Northwell facilities have already secured.

"Although our patients may not see us, we prioritize their care every day by analyzing thousands of specimens, aiding in diagnosis, and determining the best treatment—often putting ourselves and our families at risk for serious diseases. We do this because we genuinely care about our patients' health and well-being, yet Northwell refuses to do right by agreeing to a fair contract,” said Nicole Eichel, a Clinical Laboratory Technologist.

Tens of thousands of 1199SEIU members at Northwell facilities–including 21 microbiologists working at the Little Neck Laboratory–already have strong 1199SEIU contracts that include no-cost family health insurance, guaranteed pensions, education funds, and competitive wages. 

“They called us healthcare heroes without capes, but now those feel like meaningless words as management refuses our pleas for fair wages like other Northwell staff. Improved wages would help us recruit and retain more lab professionals which is vital as we analyze more and more specimens from both Northwell facilities and other health systems,” said Mahmudur Khan, Clinical Laboratory Technologist.

The Little Neck facility is a microbiology laboratory that processes specimens from both Northwell facilities and other health systems. The staff have seen an increase in their highly skilled and technical work without a corresponding increase in their compensation.

This is the second group of Northwell laboratory staff to organize in the past year. Last month over 850 staff at Northwell Health’s Core Testing Facilities in New Hyde Park overwhelmingly voted to join 1199SEIU, the largest and fastest growing healthcare workers union in New York and the country.