The following is a statement from Monica Russo, Executive Vice President & Florida Regional Director of 1199SEIU regarding the Zimmerman verdict and killing of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin:
"The members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East – Florida express their loving support for Trayvon Martin's family, his classmates, as well as his Miami Gardens and Sanford communities as we struggle to make sense of this tragic outcome. The verdict does not negate the fact that Mr. Zimmerman followed a young innocent teenager because of his race and the color of his skin. As a result, Trayvon Martin was tragically shot and killed.
"We continue to be compassionately determined to stand up against inequality in Trayvon’s honor.
"No parent should live in fear that their child could be shot because of the color of his or her skin.
"May God Bless Trayvon Martin's soul and give our communities the strength to carry the mantle by tirelessly confronting racism and injustice in Florida and across the country, in Trayvon's name."
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“Our 1199SEIU caregivers and workers are dedicated to the well-being of our communities, so the department closures, layoffs, bankruptcy and now criminal investigation of Steward Health Care are of grave concern to our members at North Shore Medical Center, Palmetto General Hospital and Florida Medical Center. Read More
Members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, Florida’s largest union of healthcare workers, have launched an intensive contract campaign calling for improved wages, protections and safer staffing levels for patients and caregivers that would help solve the ongoing care crisis in nursing homes across the state. Read More
Healthcare Workers Provide Critical Endorsement for Special Primary on July 16th Read More
On June 20, the New York Appellate Division,Third Judicial Department rejected the nursing home industry’s attempt to overturn the law requiring nursing homes to spend 70% of their total revenue on resident care and 40% of revenue on front-line staff. The vast majority of nursing home revenue comes from taxpayer funds through Medicaid and Medicare. Read More
Nearly 400 home care workers in Erie, Niagara, Monroe & Ontario counties won wage increases, paid holidays, paid training, and a voice on the job Read More
It’s an exciting time for nursing home workers at Miami Shores Rehabilitation Center and Hialeah Shores Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. That’s because they recently ratified their new contract. It is a strong contract that includes wage increases, recognition for years of experience and additional sick time. Read More
1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in New York and nationwide, provided critical on the ground support in several high-profile primary races around the state including John Mannion's winning campaign in New York's 22nd congressional district. Read More
The economic problems faced by workers are very real. Building worker power and unity is the only way to solve them. Read More
Florida members are fighting for the freedom to make their own personal health care decisions. Read More
Let’s make sure the Juneteenth federal holiday is recognized in all of our contracts. Read More
Members at Phelps Hospital reached a tentative agreement at 5:13 a.m. in the morning on May 30th, narrowly averting a one-day strike planned for the following day. Read More
The the ranks of 1199 continue to grow and diversify, including members who perform gender-affirming care at Planned Parenthood and other specialized clinics. Membership in the 1199 LGBTQIA+ Caucus is growing, too. Read More
1199ers joined New York State Nurses Association, CWA District 1, DC37, UFT—United Federation of Teachers, NYSUT—A Union of Professionals in Albany on May 13, to demand that the New York State Health Department (NYS DOH) stand with healthcare workers to protect patients by enforcing safe staffing law. Read More
1199 RNs at Mount Sinai Queens attended the annual Damayan health fair on May 11, offering free health screenings in honor of Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Damayan is a grassroots organization that serves and empowers low-wage Filipino migrant workers living and working in New York City and New Jersey. Read More
On May 15th, nearly 300 members united for the annual Healthcare and Homecare Worker Advocacy Day, where member leaders from across the state talk directly with state legislators in Boston about Union priorities to strengthen care and invest in members’ communities. Read More
As the political season ramps up, first-time member political organizer Ida Davis, a delegate from the University of Maryland Capital Region Health Center in Largo, Maryland, was excited for her fellow MPOs to learn more about Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. Read More
In the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court decision to eliminate the constitutional right to abortion, the majority of states have imposed some legal restrictions on reproductive rights, with 14 states getting rid of abortion access altogether. Members at the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM) organized with 1199 SEIU shortly after that momentous decision was handed down. Read More
The annual celebration during Nurses Week to honor the most committed to the profession. Read More
Thousands of union members converge on Philadelphia for the quadrennial SEIU Convention. Read More
Members in New York worked hard throughout the winter and early spring to keep up a steady drumbeat of emails, calls, rallies and lobby visits in Albany to roll back major cuts to healthcare spending that were initially proposed by the New York State Governor, Kathy Hochul. Read More
