1 1199SEIUofJournalA 2022July/August Union’sTheHistory:Our CommitmentSteadfast EqualityGenderto Juneteenth:Honoring FighttheContinuing JusticeRacialfor Preparation:Political GatherRetireesFlorida MidtermsofAhead HoldingtheLine Planned Parenthood members ensuring reproductive rights for all
Don’t get scared. Get active.
On the national level too, we are already seeing signs of hope on the political scene. In Kansas, for example, a ballot initiative that would have allowed the state legislature to impose a total ban on abortion was roundly defeated. With reproductive rights under attack across the country following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and remove the constitutional right to abortion the Kansas voters’ verdict was very welcome and could be the first sign of a backlash against the ultraconservative ruling. Our union as well as demonstrating a long history of campaigning for gender equality at the ballot box has recently seen an influx of workers at Planned Parenthood clinics in both New York and Massachusetts join our ranks. These new members are at the forefront of maintaining access to safe abortions and other needed healthcareWhetherservices.itisthrough voting to join our Union or getting out the vote in important local and national political races, 1199 members can always be counted on to stand up for the rights of working people and more often than not, to win.
Editorial: Detecting Hopeful Signs
It is clear that we are living in turbu lent times. Our national political landscape is rife with deep divisions and the terrible Russian offensive against the Ukrainian people rages on threatening stability across the globe. But the frightening news we are witnessing on the national and international stage as the 1199 Magazine goes to press is a long way from capturing the whole story. While many news outlets are fueling feelings of uncertainty and powerlessness, our Union strength is increasing as more and more workers vote to join our family (see 1199 Grows its Strength p. 20) and existing members continue to fight back successfully.Tensofthousands of members won an important victory in July when the New York State Department of Health announced a significantly expanded bonus program for healthcare workers. The expansion to include dietary, housekeeping and transport members came after 34,000 members signed a petition calling on NYS to do the right thing. This win comes just a few months after Home Care members won a permanent wage increase after a sustained lobbying campaign in Albany. This financial recognition of the value of healthcare work across New York State is one the important reasons why 1199 members will be working hard to support Governor Kathy Hochul in her race to retain the Governorship this coming November. Much of our wages and benefits that we negotiate at the bargaining table is dependent on decisions made in Albany. We cannot afford see Governor Hochul lose, particularly after proving herself to be a champion of healthcare workers. It is not just New York, where members and retirees are gearing up for political action as we approach the midterm elections. Both Massachusetts and Maryland members will be working to ensure that Democratic candidates occupy the governors’ mansions, to both secure a fair deal for healthcare workers and to maintain control of the state-level voting process to avoid a repetition of the Republican shenanigans that marred the certification of the Joe Biden/Kamala Harris victory in 2020. (See Wielding our Power at the Polls p. 6)
president George Gresham secretary treasurer Milly
Silva senior executive vice presidents Yvonne Armstrong Maria VeronicaCastanedaTurner executive vice presidents Jacqueline Alleyne Lisa NadineDaineGregoryRonaRoxeyJoyceBrianPatriciaToddTimRogerBrownCummerbatchFoleyHoblerMarthoneMorseNeilNelsonShapiroSpellerWilliamsWilliamson editor Sarah Wilson art direction and design Maiarelli Studio photographer Kim Wessels contributors Mindy Berman April NY,paidPeriodicalsNewE.Healthcare1199SEIU,$15.00December—forOctober,August,April,February,apublished1199JJJennaReginaEzzellHeimbruchJacksonJohnsonMagazineissixtimesyear—January/March/May/June,July/September/November/peryearbyUnitedWorkers498SeventhAve,York,NY10018postageatNewYork,andatadditional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 1199 Magazine, 498 Seventh Ave, New York, NY 10018 While many news outlets are uncertaintyfeelingsfuelingof increasing.strengthourpowerlessness,andUnionis Regina Heimbruch2211 17 CONTENTS
1199 Magazine 32 July-August 2022 UNI ON POWER! www.1199seiu.org@1199seiu 5 The ColumnPresident’s The US Supreme Court is no longer fit to uphold democracy. 6 Wielding our Power at the Polls Members across the Union are gearing up for midtermconsequentialelections. 8 theAroundRegions Rite Aid members win new three-yearcontract; Puerto Rican Day Parade; Members at for-profit nursing homes stage one-day strikes; Celebrating NYC Pride month in Washington Heights; Columbia Memorial Hospital members meet Gillibrand.Senator 11 JuneteenthCelebrating Members mark the occasion with political action. 12 PropertyAbandoned Did you forget your 1199SEIU Federal Credit Union account? 14 The Work We Do reproductivePreserving rights and gender-affirming care at Parenthood.Planned 17 Summer Camp The living is easy... when you’resummertime,it’sandan1199kid! 20 1199 Grows its Strength Union ranks swelled this summer as roughly 1000 new members voted to join. 22 1199’s Long History of Fighting for RightsReproductive The Union agenda.thegenderconsistentlyhaspushedequalityuplabormovement’s
1199 Magazine July-August 2022 Vol. 40 No.4 ISSN www.1199seiu.org(212)New498WorkersUnited1199SEIU,Published2474-7009byHealthcareEastSeventhAve,York,NY10018582-1890
Corrective measures—term limits, expanding the Court, impeachment of Justices that perjure themselves by claiming they would not overturn settled precedent like Roe v. Wade before voting to do so—are all available to a Congress, if its members prove to be courageous and committed to justice enough to use them.
The ColumnPresident’s by George Gresham Curbing the Court
Maurice F. DePalo, Delegate and Executive Council MontefiorememberMedical Center
And three of Bush’s lawyers— John Roberts, Brett Kavanagh and Amy Coney Barrett—are also now part of the ultra-rightwing majority on the Court. Kavanagh and Barrett were appointed by Trump, as was Neil Gorsuch, who got the seat that Republicans took by refusing even a hearing for President Obama’s nominee.
The Supreme Court has thus become a kangaroo court, one of the greatest threats to democracy rather than its protector.
“In a previous era, a Black man or woman corporations.”persons—asconsideredtodayperson,three-fifthswasofawhereasembryosarefullare
1199’SLettersPOWERINPOLITICS:USEITCORRECTLY
Gov. Hochul and the NY Department of Health recently unveiled a bonus program which significantly expands the number of workers eligible to receive bonuses, with a first payment of up to $1500 for working on the frontlines. Bonuses will be distributed through employers in the coming months, and Union Delegates will keep members updated on the progress.Thisvictory in Albany comes just a few months after Home Care members won a permanent wage increase from the state. But we still need to recognize that there is much more work to be done to ensure that all healthcare workers receive the respect, recognition, and pay that they truly deserve. Scan the the QR code or contact contingent.joinorganizeryourtothe1199
Over the past several months, 1199SEIU members across New York have been mobilizing to ensure that the bonuses for healthcare workers approved in the state budget include essential support staff such as housekeeping, dietary and transport workers who were originally left out. This summer, over 34,000 members took action by signing a petition calling on New York State to do the right thing. This was a powerful showing of the unity and power of 1199 members.
1199 Magazine 54 July-August 2022
The U.S. Supreme Court is no longer fit to uphold democracy. No matter how young or old we are, we Americans have grown up hearing quite a few myths about our democracy that very often proved to be false. For example, we are led to believe that it is the majority of voters who decide who gets elected to office. In fact, two of the four Presidents in this 21st century were “elected” with a minority of votes, thanks to the slavery-era Electoral College. Or take the Senate, where tens of millions more votes go to Democrats, but currently half of the seats are held by Republicans. This is because states like Wyoming have two Senators—the exact same number as California, whose population is 50 timesAnotherbigger.enduring myth has been that the Supreme Court is impartial, that the Justices “only call balls and strikes,” in the words of Chief Justice John Roberts. Now we come to find out that the majority of the Court—none of them elected, and all appointed for life—seem determined to fix every game in favor of corporate power and white supremacy, and against the democratic will. As the Republican Party has increasingly become a white supremacist, authoritarian institution, it’s become equally clear that the Supreme Court majority has become the far-right party’s judicial arm. Republicans are a minority party—they won the popular vote only once in the past eight presidential elections. Their near equal representation in Congress is only achieved by a combination of GOP gerrymandering and the unrepresentative nature of the Senate. Republicans have focused on fixing the courts in their favor, too, so that any progressive legislation passed by a Democratic Congress—voting rights, environmental protection, gun control, etc.—can be ruled “unconstitutional” by an unelected collection of right-wing Justices. While there may have been brief periods when the Court has ruled to expand voting rights, for most of its history, it has been the upholder of corporate rule and white and male privilege. Of the 117 justices who have served on the court, all but five have been males. Only two Black men, one Black woman and one Latina have served as justices. Every single one of the 17 Chief Justices has been a white man. The six far-right Justices who make up the Court’s majority claim to be “originalists,” that is to say that they interpret the Constitution as the “founding fathers” meant it to be. Of course, the Constitution, nearly two and a half centuries old, was written entirely by white men of property (usually the “property” being slaves), the only ones entitled to vote at the time. The founders also agreed, for taxation purposes, that African slaves would be considered three-fifths of a person, a condition reaffirmed by Supreme Court rulings until the 14th Amendment after the defeat of the slavocracy in the Civil War. The 14th Amendment giving “equal protection under the law” to all persons, including former slaves, was a defeat for the “originalists” of that era. The justices come onto the Court with their own ideological biases. They rule in accordance with those biases, not as objective interpreters of centuries old documents. Thus, in a previous era, a Black man or woman was three-fifths of a person, whereas today embryos are considered full persons as are corporations. In 2000 the court intervened in the Presidential election to ensure a Republican victory. With the Democrat Al Gore leading the Republican George W. Bush by 540,000 votes, the Court voted 5-4 to give the election to Bush, canceling a recount underway in Florida that would have settled the matter justly. One of today’s nine Justices—Clarence Thomas—was on the Court and ruled for Bush.
Politics has always been my passion and it saddens me how much apathy there is towards voting, especially in local elections. Whether it’s Union or government elections, if the wrong candidate wins, it has real world consequences. In 2016 a very destructive and racially divisive man named Donald Trump was elected President of the United States and his cult brainwashed millions of people, using the same tactics practiced by Adolph Hitler and Vladimir Putin. We are still feeling the effects of this man today even though he left office two years ago. The changes he and his party made to the Supreme Court—by putting in power those with a farright extremist agenda—has led to laws on the books for nearly fifty years protecting the right to safe abortion being eliminated. Women are no longer in charge of their own bodies. We are reverting to times when women’s voices are given less weight. The court has also ruled that people should be allowed to carry guns in public for self-defense, at a time when gun violence is at an all time high. So much has been lost. And more rights are at risk. On the other side of the coin, we at 1199 can substantially influence the political process, if we work together. Just look at our recent success in raising the salaries for home health workers by 20 percent in New York State. Law makers in Albany know that our voices matter, because an 1199 endorsement can make or break them at the polls. But we will lose that power if our members begin to stay home and take everything we have in place for granted. There are tough fights ahead. In Florida, for instance, we have Governor DeSantis, a possible presidential spearheadingcontender,acampaign to put the LGBTQ community back in the closet with his “Don’t say Gay” law and his tax schedules that punish companies that don’t listen. We are entering midterm election season and it is so critical to vote and only support candidates our Union endorses. If we all commit to do what’s right for our future we can return this nation to the once loving land it was.
Elected officials who have demonstrated their support for working people in the past stopped by to join the party and hear retirees’ concerns firsthand.
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Val Demings, who has represented 1199 retirees in Orlando as their U.S. Congresswoman for Florida’s 10th district, is now challenging Marco Rubio for his seat in the Senate. The race will be tight, but if 1199ers are able to push her over the top, it would have far-reaching consequences. It could be the key to the Democrats holding onto control of the Senate.
POLITICS
There are roughly 600 Union retirees now living in the Orlando area, many of whom moved to the Sunshine State after decades of caring for others in New York.
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Gloria Hewitt has lived in Orlando for the past 24 years after retiring from her job in the dietary division at NYU Medical Center in the mid-90s. “I just love politics and meeting different people when you knock on their doors to canvas,” she said, “I’m always trying to help people understand that their votes count. If we don’t vote, we will lose services that we rely on. I went door-to-door for President Barack Obama and I am ready to do the same for Val Demmings.”Itisnotjust the Congressional races, which will have a significant effect on issues that matter to members like, affordable healthcare, fair wages, secure housing and equitable education.
Meanwhile, redistricting in both New York and New Jersey means that more than a dozen seats in the U.S. Congress are in play. Many of these office holders are already known to 1199 members, who will be doing their best to ensure that candidates with a proven track-record in fighting for working people win their elections. Visit 1199’s election website 1199votes.org to find out how you can join the movement.
Members across the Union are gearing up for consequential midterm elections.
“This time around we have to make sure we keep [Democratic] control of the Senate. I’m tired of Republicans. And we certainly can’t risk Donald Trump getting back into office,” she warned.
Retirees in Florida kicked off the election season with their annual picnic in Orlando on June 30th. It was an opportunity to enjoy food and fellowship, but also to prepare for the important battles ahead as the country heads into the midterm elections in November.
Regina Knight, a retired Delegate from Brooklyn Hospital has remained politically active since she moved to Florida. She worked the phones in 2020 to get out the vote for President Joe Biden.
In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul will be facing the voters to defend her seat. Because so many decisions regarding healthcare funding that are taken in Albany have a direct effect on the wages and benefit packages that members are able to negotiate at the bargaining table, 1199ers will be working hard to make sure Governor Hochul remains in office.
“I just love politics and meeting different people when you knock on their doors to canvas”
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The effort to influence the outcome of the midterm elections with phone-banking, canvassing and voter registration drives is unionwide, but Florida will see some of the most consequential races.
6 July-August 2022 1199 Magazine 7
– Gloria Hewitt, retired NYU member.
In Georgia, too, 1199 retirees will be supporting Stacey Abrams once again as she battles to unseat the sitting Governor who narrowly defeated her in 2018 in a hotlycontested election. Both Massachusetts and Maryland will see their incumbent Republican Governors step down leaving an opening for 1199-backed Democratic candidates Maura Healey in Massachusetts and Wes Moore in Maryland to win the top elected position in their respective states.
“After much deliberation and consideration of all union members, we have reached a reasonable contract with Rite Aid,” said Shilpa Patel, an 1199 Delegate and bargaining committee member, adding: “We have gone above and beyond to be fair and unbiased in our negotiations for the contract.”
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“I’ve been there nine years and I don’t even make $15 per hour. It’s tough and it hurts. It makes me feel that I’m not worth anything, but I stay for my residents because I love what I do.”
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Around the Union
Rite Aid members have ratified another three-year contract after a tough round of negotiations which includes annual three percent raises and a dollar per hour increase in the night differential. Management came after members healthcare benefits, but 1199ers fought back and protected their affordable insurance. Members were also successful in protecting their 1199SEIU Pension Fund, Training & Upgrading Fund and Child Care Fund in the face of management attempts to take these valuable funds off the table.
8 July-August 2022
“I’ve been there nine years and I don’t even make $15 per hour,” said Donna Gregory, Certified Nurse As sistant at Garden Gate in Cheektow aga. “It’s tough and it hurts. It makes me feel that I’m not worth anything, but I stay for my residents because I love what I do,” said Gregory. Workers say continuity of care from long term caregivers is key. “In-house people care more for the residents than people coming from outside who don’t know them,” says Kaylyn Carney, Certified Nurse Assistant at Fiddler’s Green in Springville. “The people in here are like my family and I treat them as family. People just don’t know them and come in to just do a job and go home. This is my life, I take care of people for a living.” The contract campaign originally covered 1,200 workers at 12 facilities, but Buffalo Center, Ellicott Center, and Newfane Rehabilitation all withdrew oneday strike notices as they reached settlements on wages. Caregivers at the remaining nine long-term care facilities included four McGuire facilitiesAutumn View Health Care, Garden Gate, North Gate Health Care, and Seneca Health Care. 1199’ers at Elderwood at Lockport, Elderwood Williamsville, Fiddler’s Green Manor, Gowanda Rehabilitation, Humboldt House also joined the one-day strike line. As the 1199 Magazine went to press, workers were voting to hold further 5-day strikes, if a settlement cannot be reached.
NEW YORK
– Donna Gregory, Certified Nurse Assistant at Garden Cheektowaga,NYGate,
Another committee member and Union Delegate, Carlos Villalba, said: “It was a tough fight, but we ended up victorious. We fought against our employer’s unaffordable healthcare proposal and won, and we protected our funds!”
More than 1,000 long term caregivers at nine for-profit nursing homes across Western New York, whose union contracts have expired, held five one-day strikes in July to demand fair wages. Members are fighting for $15 an hour for service workers, higher start rates for new employees, and standardized wage scales based on experience. Outof-town ownership groups need to pay higher wages if they are to retain experienced workers to care for residents, but also to recruit new workers into their critically understaffed facilities.
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NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY Rite membersAid win new year-contractthree-
Members at for-profit nursing homes stage one-day strikes in July Nursing home members at North Gate Manor in North Tonawanda, NY take strike action. Members joined together with dancers
10 July-August 2022
To celebrate the LGPTQ+ community during NYC Pride month members at NewYorkPresbyterian hospital and Columbia University Medical Center held an outdoor luncheon in the park near the two institutions in Washington Heights on June 15th. The event was well-attended by members in a celebratory mood. Cynthia Miller, a Certified Surgical Technologist at NY Presbyterian said, “If you want a talk about a group of people that know how to have fun, it’s the LGBT community. It’s Pride Month, so it is a good time to recognize that all people need to be to be celebrated.”ShirleyRhymer, at Pharmacy Tech at NY Presbyterian was wearing multicolored socks in solidarity: “It is good to take time out to celebrate. But let’s also remember to be in solidarity all the time. It is like Black History Month. We’re black 365 days of the year.”
U.S.
In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., hundreds of members took part in the Moral March on Washington on June 18th with the national Poor People’s Campaign, as part of a massive gathering of low-wage workers to demand policies that address poverty and inequity.
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Members took to the streets in Washington D.C. and Buffalo, NY, to press for change.
OUR MEMBERS Celebrating NYC Pride month in Washington Heights
1199 Magazine 11
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A group of members from MemorialColumbiaHospital (CMH) met with U.S. Senator Kristen Gillibrand on July 9th and described to her in detail how our staffing crisis is affecting both members and patients. The Senator was very concerned and pledged to write a letter to CMH urging them to address the staffing crisis. She also agreed to sparking a conversation with surrounding colleges to create a pipeline from schools to work in the hospital.Immediately following her discussion with members, the Senator met with members of the hospital’s board, who became defensive when she brought up the staffing crisis. On June 22nd members held a Candlelight Vigil to highlight the crisis at the hospital which was attended by community members and politicians. Local politicians including the Mayor of Hudson, Kamal Johnson, and the Hudson Common Council, have been extremely supportive.
Patchogue,HospitalCommunityNYU/Union–share.”getaftergoingthatunderstandperthewebecauseherethat.don’ttherepeopletherebenefits.myButareoutthathaveI’mouttodaywanttoponecenttowe’retogothemtoourfairCraigMoore,aDelegateatLongIslandinNY.
199SEIU members have always stood at the forefront of the most important movements for justice, equity, and peace. In the weekend before the new Juneteenth Federal holiday, 1199ers from around the Union were making their voices heard. In many shops, members have also negotiated a paid holiday for Juneteenth, the day which commemorates the end of chattel slavery in the United States.
“We have come out today because no matter what we do if we work two jobs, or even three jobs everybody is still struggling. So, there is something wrong with the system,” explained Craig Moore a Delegate who works in the Dietary department at NYU/ Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue, NY. “With 1199, the boss pays for my benefits,” he added, “But there are people out there that don’t have that. I’m out here today because we want the top one per cent to understand that we’re going to
NEW YORK MemorialColumbia Hospital Around the Union
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– Lynette Robinson, Home Care worker Washington.MarchforUnionaroundfromMembersalltheinD.C.theMoralon
Sydges Burke 4540 Monticello Ave., Bronx, NY 10466 Mary Alves 68 St Paul Pl. Apt.C2, Brooklyn, NY, 11226 Marie C. Moise 1497 Carroll Street #54, Brooklyn, NY, 11220 Cynthia Hayle 4506 Carpenter Ave., Bronx, NY, 10470 Victor M. Jurado 32 Landscape Ave., Yonkers, NY, 10705 Donna Palmer 1115 Collage Ave., Apt.1F, Bronx, NY, 10456 Isaac Nortey 3247 Park Side Pl., Unit 3C, Bronx, NY, 10467 Yvonne Griffin 1201 Pennsylvania Ave., 2C, Brooklyn, NY, 11239 Sonya M. Davis 130-04 244th Street, Rosedale, NY, 11422 Oswald H. Samuel 2029 2nd Ave., Apt.4E, New York, NY, 10029 Vera L. Smith 127 North Clinton Ave., Bayshore, NY, 11706 Maria A. Fernandez 89-34 241 Street, Bellerose, NY, 11420 Pamella Nelson 1265 Fteley Ave., #1st Fl., Bronx, NY, 10472 Joseph W. Waldron 215 Quincy St, Brooklyn, NY, 11216 Sherry C. Tifeld 224-01 Hullside Ave., Queens, NY, 11427 Kim Joseph 181 Buttrick Ave., Apt. 6B, Bronx, NY, 10456 Bryan O. Greenidge 3812 Church Ave., Apt.2B, Brooklyn, NY, 11203 Valarie A. Shepherd-Brimo 4172 Edson Ave., Bronx, NY, 10466 Gladyse Bernard 136 Nassau Ave., PH, Freeport, NY, 11520 Wendy P. Lorde 240-35 Edgewood Street, Queens, NY, 11422
Doris Butts, 1165 E 54th Street Apt.2Y, Brooklyn, NY, 11234 Umar Chaudhry 50-48 102 Street, Corona, NY, 11368 Desmond Hyatt 3640 De Reimer Ave., Bronx, NY, 10466 Frankie L. Smith 8-62 Schroders Street, Yonkers, NY, 10701 Betty Akuffo 5 Cabot Elmsford,Ave.,NY, 10523 Veronica P. Grosevnor 275 Rockaway Pkwy Apt.3F, Brooklyn, NY, 11212 Marie P. Mondesir 111-03 196 Street, St. Albans, NY, 11412 Jersey Lewis 8 East 4th Street, Mt. Vernon, NY, 10550 Dianne Nickie-Moore 115-27 125th Street, South Ozone Park, NY, 11420 Pamela Jay Moran Route 2, Box 524, Garrison, NY, 10524 Marie Michele Chery 34 Demarest Ave., West Nyack, NY, 10994 Eugene Winifred Lashley 40 Richman Plaza Apt.36G, Bronx, NY, 10453 Roselene Belizaire 2105 Foster Ave., Apt.1, Brooklyn, NY, 11210 Maria Del Carmen Kumagay 64 East 120th Street #1, New York, NY, 10035 Yvonne Lewis 127 Watkins Street #2, Brooklyn, NY, 11212 Joan D. Lewis 580 East 88th Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11236 Urcillyn Andrea Mcphail 1463 East 84 Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11236 Hilburn L. Oliver 2508 Mott Ave., Far Rockaway, NY, 11691 Barry Lampkins P.O. Box 764, New York, NY, 10029 Jennifer Morin P.O. Box 656, Spring Valley, NY, 10977 Julie Y. Alexandre 1743 East 51st St., Brooklyn, NY, 11234-3803 Denise L. Tennant 1249 Rogers Ave., Brooklyn, NY, 11226 Antonieta M. Rubina 130 Touraine Ave., Port Cheseter, NY, 10573 Jacqueline A. Phillip 1046 Evergreen Ave., Bronx, NY, 10472 Elsie Y. Barnes 2444 97th Street, East Elmhurst, NY, 11369 Denise White 130-50 224 Street, Laurelton, NY, 11413 Rita Vazquez 1016 50th St., Apt. 2E, Brooklyn, NY, 11219 Angela Irizarry 1420 Gateway Blvd., Apt.6F, Far Rockaway, NY, 11691 Emma Jaime 100 Dreiser Loop, Apt.10J, Bronx, NY, 10475 Jemma Romain 58 Rogers Ave., Brooklyn, NY, 11216 Colleen J. Blythe 1429 E 98th St., Brooklyn, NY, 11236 Terancia Y. Olivier 259 E 48th St, Brooklyn, NY, 11203 Jacqueline Bayley 216 Rockaway Ave., Apt.6L, Brooklyn, NY, 11233 Miriam Millan 258 W 117th St., Apt. 44E, New York, NY, 10026 Jimmy A. Burke 108-01 160th St, Jamaica, NY, 11433 Keisha J. Murphy 11920 227th St, Cambria Heights, NY, 11411 Mirtha A. Maldonado 252 Hosmer Ave., Apt. 1, Bronx, NY, 10465 Lorena M. Allen 792 Belmont Ave., Apt. 1, Brooklyn, NY, 11208 Danneille K. Bogle 44 E 57th St., Brooklyn, NY, 11203 Jeanine A. Dubison 6120 Grand Central Pkwy, Forest Hills, NY, 11375 Ivyline Dias 329 S 9 Ave., Mount Vernon, NY, 10550 Sylvia J. Townsend 27 N Columbus Ave., Apt.3C, Mount Vernon, NY, 10553 Jeffrey K. Jean 8824 Merrick Blvd Apt.2E, Jamaica, NY, 11432 Bernice Opoku 114 W. 183rd Street Apt#6B, Bronx, NY, 10453-1146 Mathilde Louissaint 3041 Ave. W, Apt. 5C, Brooklyn, NY, 11229-5573 Flavia Francis 317 Utica Ave., Brooklyn, NY, 11213 Nana Ama D. Robinson 40 W Mosholu Pkwy Apt.12B, Bronx, NY, 10468 Ethridge Allen 576 Eastern Pkwy, Apt.5H, Brooklyn, NY, 11225 Jean D. Jean-Francois 274 Arcadia Ave., Uniondale, NY, 11553 Marie E. Jocelyn 181 Palmetto St., Apt. 3R, Brooklyn, NY, 11221 Alejandrina Nunez 37-30 100 Street 2fl, Corona, NY, 11368 Maxine Peterson 2556B Frederick Doug Blvd, New York, NY, 10030 Eugene Nixon 75 E 190th St., Apt.6G, Bronx, NY, 10468 Kevon Andall 457 Chauncey St., Apt. 4L, Brooklyn, NY, 11233 Ingrid Cummings 226 Cornelia St, Brooklyn, NY, 11221 Manuel Rodriguez 3739 87th St., Fl 2, Jackson Heights, NY, 11372 Hazel Williams 4724 Foster Ave., Brooklyn, NY, 11203 Daphney Almonord 1121 E 58th St., 2nd Fl, Brooklyn, NY, 112349 Bridgette E. Guy-Mcfarlane 1014 Bay 32nd St, Far Rockaway, NY, 11691 Marie A. Whitehall 1363 E 94th St., Fl. 2, Brooklyn, NY, 11236 Rose Patricia Regis 1356 E 53rd St, Brooklyn, NY, 11234 Lorenza G. Santana 1804 Harrison Ave., Apt.5D, Bronx, NY, 10453 Brent T. Lessey 451 Hegeman Ave., Brooklyn, NY, 11207 Marie Josiane Felix 327 Linden Place, Westbury, NY, 11590 Donna P. Babb Jack 1016 E. 104 Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11236 Marie L. Marcellus 141 Camdike Street, Valley Stream, NY, 11580 Alexandra E. Luna 40 Moore Ave., Apt. 5M, Mount Kisco, NY, 10549 Olivia Taneisha Patterson 3041 Holland Ave., #56N, Bronx, NY, 10467 Michelle M. Lessey 10 Commerce Blvd, Amityville, NY, 11701 Princess Reid 25554 149th Ave., Rosedale, NY, 11422 Jacqueline R. Thomas Groce 342 Columbus Ave., West Harrison, NY, 10604 Joanne Hernandez 3666 Amboy Rd, Staten Island, NY, 10308 Marc E. Alston 235 Cypress Ave., Apt.3C, Bronx, NY, 10454 Maisset Catherinne de La Cruz Luna 2685 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY, 10468
1199 Magazine 1312 July-August 2022
On the same day that 1199ers were marching in the nation’s capital, members in Buffalo, NY, were taking part in the nation’s second largest Juneteenth parade in their home city. “The Juneteenth celebration from a historical standpoint means so much,” said Home Care worker Lynette Robinson, adding: “To care for people during this historical time means so much to me that I must be a part of it. “It's also important because of the shootings that happened in Buffalo and across the country. People need to learn how to respect and appreciate other cultures, other jobs, other types of food and everything. We need to learn to appreciate one another and instead of living in hate, we need to live in love,” said Robinson, referencing the racist massacre of 10 innocent shoppers at a grocery store in Buffalo, NY, on May 14. “We need to learn to appreciate one another and instead of living in hate, we need to live in love.”
Civilus Joseph 756 E 84th St, Brooklyn, NY, 11236 Aileen M. Austin 75 Lee Ave., Apt.3C, Yonkers, NY, 10705 Ines Escobar 102-12 86th Rd, Richmond Hill, NY, 11418
Are you a member of the 1199SEIU Federal Credit Union? It’s vital to keep your share accounts with the 1199SEIU Federal Credit Union active. New York State law requires all financial institutions to report any account that is considered dormant or inactive to be turned over as abandoned property. Any account that has been without activity for three years is considered inactive. We are required by law to publish this list of dormant account holders. A report of these unclaimed funds will also be sent to the New York State Comptroller. Listed persons appear to be entitled to these funds. The full list is on file and available for public inspection at the 1199SEIU Federal Credit Union, located on the 2nd floor at 498 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. Held amounts of funds will be paid to proven, entitled parties by the 1199SEIU Federal Credit Union through October 31, 2022. Remaining unclaimed funds will be turned over to the New York State Comptroller’s Office on or before November 10, 2022 For more information visit the 1199SEIU Federal Credit Union or call (212) 957-1055. stick together moving forward and we’re going to go after them to get our fair share.”
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Money in abandoned or dormant accounts is scheduled to be turned over to New York State.
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Roe v. Wade was overturned, even here in New York State. This change throws all those problems into the spotlight. Sometimes things have to get really bad before they get better.”
THE WORK WE DO RIGHTSREPRODUCTIVEPRESERVING
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Staff at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY)— who voted to form a union with 1199SEIU shortly before the pandemic broke out in August 2019 and went on to fight for and win their first contract during the height of the lockdown— are now once again on the frontlines, preserving much-needed reproductive rights and gender affirming care.
2.Lily Dalke, a Certified Midwife at the Planned scared,mylookinglinelookingwhilemakingracism,industrycare—inperson-centeredcompassionate,protectIt’sabortionareCenter,ManhattanParenthoodHealthsaid:“Midwivestheoriginalproviders.challengingtoourvalues—holistic,ahealthcarerootedinmisogyny,andmoney.Butmanagementisatthebottomeveryday,I’matthefacesofclients.“WhenIfeelIremember that while beforetoproblemscare.stopPeoplethescience,denylawmakersconservativecantrytorealityandignoreattheendofday,factsarefacts.arenotgoingtoneedingabortionWehadbigwithaccessabortioncareeven
1. Lissette Flores who joined the Diane L. Max Health Center in Queens (part of PPGNY) as a Healthcare Assistant, said she heard the news of the Roe v. Wade decision from a patient. “Ever since the pandemic, I don’t watch the news. I have kids and it is too nerve-wracking. We had a lot of patients who came in that week who were scared. [Safe abortion care] was a right that they took away from all of us.”
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3. Leonela Pena (Right) has been a Healthcare Assistant at the Queens clinic for the past five years. “We are very shortstaffed. Sometimes patients are waiting for more than an hour to be seen, and they take it out on us. I feel good now that we have a union, so we can fight together.”Onthe Supreme Court healththroughpeopletheirwhathave“Everyonedecision,abortionsheadded:shouldtherighttodotheywantwithownbody.Manygetpregnantrapeorhaveacondition.”
As the legal framework safeguarding access to safe abortion and trans-inclusive health care is being dramatically eroded in many states across the country, the work of PPGNY members and their commitment to it, is more important than ever.
“When I heard about the Roe v. Wade decision, it felt personal. If I had not had that option [to AssistantHealthcare–different.”havemyIservices]safeaccessabortionwhenneededit,lifewouldbeenveryMayraMorales,
4. Mayra Morales, who recently joined the Queens cinic as a Healthcare Assistant, said: “When I heard about the Roe v. Wade decision, it felt personal. If I had not had that option [to access safe abortion services] when I needed it, my life would have been very to-day.”avoice.“Imember,OnneedsupportreceivingMoralesdifferent.”iscurrentlytrainingtopatientswhomedicalabortions.beingaUnionshesays:likethatwehaveaIthelpstomakedifferenceinourday-
Following the Supreme Court ruling this summer to reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and remove the constitutional right to abortion, states like New York are already seeing a significant influx of people who live elsewhere and need to terminate their pregnancies safely.
Bree Ferrin (right) works closely with Wolf as a andcarriedwhichSimilarpotentialcareinandaboutknowledgehas“theagreesQueensPractitionerNurseintheclinic.Shewiththemthattranscommunitybuiltuptheirownbase”whattreatmentsdrugsworkbestgender-affirmingandwhatarethesideeffects.tothewayinabortionswereoutillegallyoftenunsafely, before Roe v. Wade, the trans community has often had to resort to transition care without the support of traditional healthcare providers.“Being in the union,” added Ferrin, “has helped us to connect with other Planned Parenthood clinics across the country and share our experiences and offer support.”
“It was something that we needed here and I’m glad we have it,” she said. On the recent Supreme Court decision to remove the choose.”have“Everyonepregnant,thoserightConstitutionaltoabortionfromwhocangetsheadded:shouldtherightto6 5 “Being in the union, has helped to connect with other Planned Parenthood clinics across the country and share our experiences [around gender affirming care] and offer support.”
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– Bree Ferrin, Nurse Practitioner
5. Luar Adonis Wolf, is a Patient Navigator focusing on people who arrive at the Queens center in need of trans and nonbinary healthcare. They said: “We have definitely been seeing an influx of people seeking
6. Kelly Eustache is a Healthcare Assistant who has worked at the DLM center in Queens for the past seven years and took part in the campaign to form a union with 1199SEIU.
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OUR BENEFITS
This July, 1199 Magazine visited the Hands In 4 Youth (Camp Vacamas) in West Milford, NJ, a sleepaway camp that sits on 250 acres of land and provides a wide range of summer activities as well as day camps and after school programs throughout the year
THE WORK WE DO
... when it’s summertime, and you’re an 1199 kid! Since 1965, when the Anne Shore Camp program began, 1199ers’ children who are between the ages of nine and 15 have been enjoying up to four weeks breaks at sleepaway camps throughout the Northeast.Theoutdoor camp program is ad ministered by the 1199SEIU Child Care Corporation and has traditionally served between 850 and 900 kids annually. During the height of the pandemic, the program had to scale back. But this summer, it is almost back up to speed, accommodating more than 700 Union kids at 20 camps with activities ranging from athletics to fine arts and technology, and, of course, outdoor activities. There are also programs for teenaged, disabled and special needs campers.
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Janneris Geraldo, Director of Programs, has worked at Hands In 4 Youth for the past Kasi Sammy slips and slides.
While 1199 Magazine visited the camp, many of the teen campers were preparing to hike and canoe 33 miles of the Appalachian trail—a five-day activity. “I’m nervous because I’m not sure what to expect, but I think it’ll be fun,” says Jasmine Johnson, 15, who has attended the camp every year since she was seven. “I know all the counselors here and they all know me, it’s like family.” Her younger sister by seven minutes, Erica Johnson, also attends and will go on the hike. “I’m not looking forward to all the walking, but I am excited about the canoeing.”
“I know all the counselors here and they all know me, it’s like family.”
OUR MEMBERS
1199 Magazine 1918 July-August 2022 17 years, and is excited to have the camp back almost at full speed. “When the pan demic hit, it was hard. What worked for us is that since the majority of our activities are outside, we constantly have them out and moving around. We were able to keep our day camp open, and in 2021, we had our sleepaway camp return. And in all that time, we haven’t had any [COVID-19] cases, which is great.”
The program is open to children of eligible members covered under the National Benefit Fund and the Greater New York Child Care Fund. The 1199SEIU Child Care Corporation offers opportuni ties for parents to learn about summer camp, including a Virtual Camp Fair each fall and Virtual Parent Seminar each winter. For more information, call 212-564-2220 ext. 3460, or @1199funds.orgAnneShoreCampProgramemail: (L-R) Gessie St. Jaques (10), Denise Lema (11), Nemiah Laponte (11) (L-R) 15-yearold friends Ulises Becerra and Jack Farrell Xavier Becerra (left) and Paapa Mireku get ready to hike. (right)Jasmineand Erica Johnson, 15-yearold twins.
Ulises Becera, 15, talked about the preparation for the hike: “I’ve learned a lot of skills here; I’ve gotten better at swimming.”Whenasked what’s her favorite part of camp, Gessie St. Jacques, 10, didn’t hesitate, “Crafts! I love the bracelets we got to make.” Her friend, Denise Lema, 11, is more practical, “I like learning about which bugs are harmful or not; like there’s two spiders out here, the wolf spider is dangerous so watch out for those.” Another camper, Nemiah Laponte, 11, talked about learning skills and new experiences, “We got to do “floating lunch” [eating lunch on a boat]. And I learned how to build my own fire and cook food and how to make a shel ter. It’s really fun!”
– Jasmine Johnson, 15
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“It important
Special guest speakers at the event included Bishop William Barber, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, NYS Attorney General Tish James, 1199SEIU President Dennis Rivera (1989-2007), SEIU President Mary Kay Henry, and SEIU Secre tary-Treasurer Gerry Hudson.
The organizing victory at PPLM came just one month after more than 800 nurses and service workers at Phelps Hospital in their courage and strength it in spires me to work harder for them and for all our members.”
“It feels importantmorethan ever now that the Roe v. Wade decision [which previously guaranteed the right to abortion in the U.S.] has been overturned.”
Boyce who works as a CNA in New Jersey said: “1199 to me is like a family. Together we have won the best [health]care anyone can imagine, and we will continue to fight for the best benefits for everyone. We know that we can count on each other and have each other’s back.”
Longtime Delegate Margaret Sleepy Hollow, NY, voted to form a union with 1199. “Hospital management is out of touch with us, the caregivers who keep our hospital running every day,” said RN John Anthony Malizia, following the win, adding: “Now, with our union, we have a voice and a seat at the table. That means Northwell can't ignore us anymore.”
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– Milly Silva, 1199SEIU Secretary Treasurer Milly officers.alongsideTreasurernewinbeing(foreground)Silvaswornas1199’sSecretaryfellow
OUR UNION OUR UNION
1199 Grows its Strength
Some 2,000 new Union delegates took their oath of office on June 14th alongside the newly elected 1199SEIU leadership team, being sworn in at a ceremony in mid town1199SEIUManhattan.President George Gresham officially began his sixth three-year term, as Secretary Treasurer Milly Silva took her new office for the first time, becoming the highest-ranking Latina in the Union’sPresidenthistory.Gresham saluted the assembled delegates for bringing us through the pandemic: “You worked through the most fright ening of times, you came to work fighting this invisible enemy and we thank you for the sacrifices that you made. Not everyone can be a healthcare worker, now more than ever I give honor to you.”
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Wilma Vasquez, a Patient Care Assistant, said: “By forming our union, all of our efforts can finally be seen, and our voices can be heard. We all have an important to role in our hospital, and when we have a real seat at the table, we can only improve the care we provide for ourMonitorpatients.”Tech, Theresa Newton, added: “Every day, we work to ensure our patients have a clean and safe environment to heal. Together in our union, we can ensure we are cared for too, by having an equal say in decisions affecting our work, benefits, and pay.”
Union ranks swelled this summer as roughly 1,000 new members voted to join.
Newly-elected Union officers are sworn in alongside thousands of 1199SEIU delegates.
Janice Guzman, a Personal Care Attendant from Massachusetts added: “I became a union delegate because I know I can be a voice for the 58,000 members in MA. I’ve heard stories of Home Care and low wage workers who are struggling every day to put food on the table. We have the power of the union, and we need to continue to step up.”
In July, nearly 200 workers at four Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM) clinics in Boston, Worcester, Marlborough, Springfield and the Telehealth unit, voted to join the Union. It was the latest victory in a growing movement of Planned Parenthood workers organizing to protect good jobs and improve access to reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare.PayalKumar, who manages health equity at PPLM, said it was really important for them to be involved in the unionizing effort to help ensure that frontline staff were respected, and that management did not hold a monopoly on decision-making.
Roughly one thousand new members voted to join the 1199SEIU family this summer with landmark wins in both Massachusetts and New York.
Payal Kumar, Health Equity Manager at PPLM
“It’s the honor of my lifetime to be a part of the leadership team. Our delegates are the heart of this Union because without you nothing can get done.”
Secretary Treasurer Silva add ed: “It’s the honor of my lifetime to be a part of [1199’s] leadership team. I learned very quickly that it’s members first, members first, members first. I’m truly humbled to stand here and I’ll do this work to the best of my ability for the next three years. Our delegates are the heart of this Union because with out you nothing can get done.” Delegates from every 1199 region took part in the ceremony. “I’ve been a neonatal care nurse for 23 years and my patients and families are my motivation,” said Juliette Negron, an RN from New York City. “Every day, when I see than ever now that the Roe v. Wade decision [which previously guaranteed the right to abortion in the U.S.] has been overturned. We are also seeing an alarming number of attacks on trans rights around the country, including restricting access to such mainstream treatments as HRT [hormone replacement therapy],” said TheirKumar.role at PPLM involves finding ways that the organization can make access to healthcare more equitable. They said that the new members hope to negotiate a contract which ensures more time with each patient, which will go a long way to improving the clinicians’ ability to build trust and treat appropriately.
Steadfast ally of 1199 working people, NYS Attorney General Leticia James told the gathering: “Thank you for all of your incredi ble sacrifices especially through the last two years, when others were at home, you showed up, you were there, you kept New York going. If anyone comes after 1199, they have to come after me!”
Payal Kumar, Health PPLM.ManagerEquityat
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An activist in her own right, Scott-King assisted in many organizing drives. She identified as a feminist and was a staunch opponent of homophobia. She referred to herself as a sister 1199er, praising the strength and skill of its female leaders and members. She said in 1973, “Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe you must become its soul.”
“Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe you must become its soul.”
It was Marshall who, as NAACP chief counsel, argued the landmark Brown v. Board of Education that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal because they violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. This decision formed the basis for the extension of rights based on race, gender, age, sexual orientation. Such rulings include: the 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut judgment, which paved the way for legalizing widespread contraceptive use: the 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision on interracial marriage, and the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling which led to marriage equality.
Each of these decisions has been enthusiastically celebrated by 1199 leadership and members. By the 1970s, the Union had grown to be one of the largest in the city. Its contract gains were second to none, and it was hailed as among the most progressive and active in the nation. When it decided to organize in the South and beyond, the Union chose as its national chairperson, Coretta Scott King, the widow of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Union has consistently pushed gender equality up the labor movement’s agenda.
1199’s RightsReproductiveFightingHistoryLongoffor 1199 Magazine 23 OUR HISTORY
When 1199 ventured into the organizing of hospital workers in 1959, the Union’s leaders and members, who were overwhelmingly white males at the time, nevertheless understood the need to address issues that were paramount to women1199workers.isoften credited with effectively combining union power with soul power, that is, marrying union rights with civil rights and racial equality. But its success could not have come without also addressing the issue of genderAmongequality.theUnion’s guiding principles as enumerated in its constitution are: “to maintain, preserve and extend the democratic processes and institutions of our country; to advance, defend and protect civil liberties and civil rights; to eliminate all forms of discrimination and racism; and to aid in the adoption of legislation in the best interests of its members and the people generally.” Those principles have guided the ongoing fight to uplift and extend women’s rights.
Among the early leaders who supported 1199’s organizing campaigns was Eleanor Roosevelt, the widow of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and a political activist, diplomat, lecturer, journalist and staunch supporter of women’s, labor and civil rights. She stood side-byside with1199 in every campaign until her death in 1962.
The first chair of New York City CLUW was 1199er Judy Berek. Both in and outside the labor movement, 1199 also helped steer many women’s issues onto the wider labor’s agenda. The 1199SEIU Training and Upgrading and Child Care programs were hailed as national models whose benefits dramatically raised the status of women within the workplace and in the greater society. Few unions have done as much to promote the health and wellbeing of women in our society.
The Union’s current President, George Gresham reaffirmed that commitment as the new of the Supreme Court’s shameful decision to overturn Roe v. Wade came in. He did not hesitate to echo the Union’s long history of supporting gender equality and reproductive rights, pledging that: “1199 SEIU stands firmly behind the right to choose and we will continue to fight tooth and nail to preserve this most basic freedom.”TheUnion’s unparalleled track record is testament to its ability to understand and act on those concerns.
In that same year the Roe v. Wade ruling struck a mighty blow to our nation’s long history of reproductive control rooted in slavery and misogyny. After the ruling, 1199’s benefits program began funding abortions. 1199ers were increasingly sought out by Laborconventionmeetingsattended1199ersorganizations.progressiveForexample,ingreatnumberstheorganizingandthe1974foundingoftheCoalitionofUnionWomen(CLUW).
– Coretta Scott King in 1973 Coretta Scott King, the widow of Dr. LutherMartinKing, Jr. (right) pictured with Bella Abzug (left), a former U.S. movement.theandRepresentativeleaderinwomen’s Leon1199SEIUandMontalbánactorMexican(middle)courtformerMarshall,ThurgoodthesupremejusticewithAmericanRicardo(left)formerPresidentDavis(right).
Another major supporter of 1199 was the late Thurgood Marshall, the first AfricanAmerican supreme court justice. He said at an 1199 event during the 1959 hospital organizing drive, “Your effort to organize the voluntary hospital workers could well be one of the most important organizing campaigns this city has ever seen. More power to you.”
1199 Magazine 24 Gessie St. Jacques, 10, shows off the bracelet she made at the Hands In 4 Youth (Camp Vacamas) in West Milford, NJ, a sleepaway camp that works with the 1199SEIU Childcare Fund. See page 17.
