Union Members Unite to Demand that Fresenius Put Patient Care and Good Jobs Over Profits

On Monday, June 12, hundreds of 1199 members—including clerical staff, housekeepers, dieticians, social workers, and technicians—braved the heat and held a one-day strike at five Fresenius dialysis centers throughout Brooklyn and the Bronx. They were joined by their nurse colleagues, who are represented by NYSNA. Both unions’ workers voted unanimously to authorize the one-day strike, and have been standing in strength and unity by attending each other’s negotiation sessions and working together for fair contracts.

Fresenius is a multi-national corporation based in Germany, and is the largest dialysis corporation nationwide. The company made annual profits of $1 billion last year. Yet, both 1199 and NYSNA workers have been without a contract for over two years because the company is refusing to bargain in good faith, and is threatening to cut affordable healthcare, wages, childcare and educational benefits for healthcare workers and their families. Workers are also concerned about ongoing issues with short-staffing, which makes it difficult to provide the best quality of care to their beloved patients.

“I am out here today with my brothers and sisters to demand that Fresenius focus on quality of care for patients over profits,” said Kathleen Doddard, a hemodialysis who's been an 1199 member and worker at Fresenius for 17 years. “We love our patients and do our best for them even though we are short-staffed. We need healthcare we can afford. I had surgeries in 2003 and 2004, and without my affordable healthcare, I wouldn't have been able to take care of myself. Fresenius can't be allowed to get away with their egregious tactics.”

“Continuity of care is extremely important for dialysis patients, and Fresenius is valuing its profits over the needs of its patients by trying to take away the benefits that care providers and their families depend on,” said Laurie Vallone, Executive Vice President of 1199SEIU. “By refusing to offer good jobs, how will Fresenius retain the staff its patients depend on? The company needs to stop being greedy—Fresenius can afford to treat its workers fairly!”