Statement of Milly Silva, Executive Vice President, on Supreme Court DAPA/DACA decision

The members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the largest union of healthcare workers in the nation, strongly demand humane and fair treatment of Haitians seeking asylum into the United States. These asylum seekers have left a nation that has been ravaged by an unprecedented wave of crises including political instability and violence; deadly natural disasters; profound poverty; and more.

New York, NY. Oct. 25, 2021 -- The members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the largest union of healthcare workers in the nation, strongly demand humane and fair treatment of Haitians seeking asylum into the United States. These asylum seekers have left a nation that has been ravaged by an unprecedented wave of crises including political instability and violence; deadly natural disasters; profound poverty; and more.

On Friday, October 22, the union contracts covering 1,800 service workers at Strong Memorial Hospital and University of Rochester Campus since 2018 expired following a short extension. Yesterday, in a nearly unanimous vote, hospital and campus workers voted to authorize their bargaining committees to issue their employers a 10-day notice of job action.

These are hard times for working people. Good paying jobs with benefits are scarce. Employers continue to dig in their heels against union organizing and union contracts. And on top of that, we have the pandemic that continues to rage on with the Delta variant. So we’re all living in hard times. We know that our unity and determination are what have always made the difference. Tough times only get easier when we band together, unite and fight for what is rightfully ours.

The phrase Information Superhighway was first coined in the late 1970’s by U.S. Vice President Al Gore when the internet was in its infancy and barely anyone even knew of its existence. Half a century later, the internet is just one small part of a whole information ecosystem that includes dozens of competing social media platforms, as well numerous channels for connecting with friends and family around the globe.

Nuvance’s Hudson Valley facilities are extraordinarily short-staffed. There are long waits to get care in the emergency departments, and throughout the hospitals and labs. Staff works around the clock. As a result of the fatigue and stress, qualified healthcare workers leave their jobs, exacerbating the situation.

Join 1199SEIU so together we can build a strong union and use our power to win higher wages and address the critical issues we all face in long-term care:

The pandemic has changed the way we work, meet and live. Since we can’t meet in person due to the health crisis, let’s connect virtually every Wednesday evening to discuss issues that impact our workplace, jobs and patients. Whether you’re concerned about staffing levels, grievances, pay, PPE or other issues, your union is here for you. Make plans to join us online or by phone on Wednesdays.

Purpose: Enrich the connections between RNs by providing a program that is beneficial to mentors and mentees.