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

Immediately after RN Deb Montgomery was hired full-time by HCA Palms West Hospital in December 2019 she joined 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East for the better pay and protections provided as part of a union.

Recent events in Haiti and Cuba have shocked and saddened us. They remind us of the critical importance of democracy around the world and in our own hemisphere. Peoples’ right to demonstrate and organize for justice and social change must not be threatened with violence and repression, whether from forces within or outside their countries.

In a sign of how well the Biden Administration has tackled the pandemic, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged schools to reopen in the fall.

We are proud to welcome 53 new members who work in the Mount Alverno nursing home at the St Anthony’s Community Hospital in Warwick, New York, into the 1199SEIU family.

1199SEIU President George Gresham has released the following statement regarding recent events in Haiti and Cuba:

We have officially kicked off League bargaining and presented our proposals. As you know, our proposals annual include wage increases, and maintenance of our benefits and retirement. We also heard from some of our 1199 heroes about their experiences during the pandemic. They talked about the fear they had every day of the last year and a half – fear of getting sick and fear of getting their loved ones sick, as well.

Vaccines are bringing our country back to life. As of early June, some 51% of the U.S. population had received one vaccine dose. Among those 12 years of age and older 50% were fully vaccinated; among those 18 and up, 64% had received at least one shot. Though we are not necessarily in striking distance of the 70% vaccination threshold needed to reach herd immunity, we are making definite progress. At the same time, activists of every stripe are bolstering efforts by building trust and reducing vaccine hesitance in our communities.

The 450,000 healthcare workers of 1199SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East, are saddened and outraged by the recent assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. We wish his widow, Haiti’s First Lady Martine Moïse, a speedy recovery and send our deepest condolences to the Moïse family and all of Haiti.

IN A HOLIDAY WEEKEND SPEECH THE PRESIDENT LAUDED PROGRESS AND URGED CAUTION. Speaking from the White House over July 4 weekend, President Biden urged the country to do its patriotic duty by getting vaccinated. Twenty states have reached the Biden administration’s goal of having at least 70 percent of adults at least partly vaccinated by July 4.

Long-term care workers across Florida who have been on the frontlines of the pandemic are uniting through their union, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, to call on government officials and nursing home owners to better protect and fully fund nursing homes. Through the “We Are Essential” campaign, caregivers are putting a spotlight on these and other critical issues that put nursing home residents and workers at risk including unsafe staffing and high turnover due to low wages.