Our Life & Times

A JOURNAL OF 1199SEIUFebruary/March 2013

Chef Bernard Bowens,a delegate at Cape CodHospital in Hyannis, MAfor 25 years.

See story on page 5.

Announcementof BallotingSee Insert

3 1199SEIU’S FRONT LINE Our delegates lead by example.

4 PRESIDENT’S COLUMNWe’ve got to answer the call and help keep our Union strong.

5 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE Long-serving delegates share their wisdom.

8 MEMBERS ATTEND PRES. OBAMA’S INAUGURATION Every region was represented.

9 OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS These members strengthen their chapter through community involvement.

10 SAFETY & HEALTH CLASSES SAVE LIVES Every day in the U.S. 12 workers are killed on the job.

11 MARYLAND’S MINIMUM WAGE CAMPAIGN 1199ers join the struggle to raise the state’s minimum wage.

12 THE WORK WE DO Delaire Gardens Assisted Living in Linden, NJ.

14 PURPLEGOLD HELPS YOUNG WORKERS Program reaches out to members struggling in economic downturn.

15 AROUND THE UNION PCA Training Fund classes. Our Life And Times editor retires. Citizenship Program Celebration.

Contents

p.5 p.10Our Life And Times, February/March 2013, Vol. 31, No. 1 Published by1199SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East310 West 43rd St. New York, NY 10036Telephone (212) 582-1890www.1199seiu.org

PRESIDENT:George GreshamSECRETARY TREASURER:Maria Castaneda

EXECUTIVE VICEPRESIDENTS:Norma Amsterdam Yvonne Armstrong Lisa BrownAngela Doyle George KennedySteve Kramer Patrick Lindsay Joyce NeilJohn Reid Bruce Richard Mike Rifkin Monica RussoNeva ShillingfordMilly SilvaVeronica TurnerLaurie ValloneEstela Vazquez

ACTING EDITOR:Patricia KenneyDIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY:Jim TynanPHOTOGRAPHER:Belinda GallegosART DIRECTION & DESIGN:Maiarelli StudioCOVER PHOTOGRAPH:Jim Tynan

Our Life And Times ispublished 6 times a year by 1199SEIU, 310 West 43rd St.,New York, NY 10036.Subscriptions $15 per year.Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY andadditional mailing offices. ISSN 1080-3089. USPS 000-392. Postmaster: Send addresschanges to Our Life AndTimes, 310 West 43rd St., New York, NY 10036.

p.8

www.1199seiu.org

p.14Emily Rodriguez, a PCA fromSpringfield, MA

ROSE LINCOLN PHOTO

3 February/March 2013 • Our Life And Times

1199SEIU’s members are surely ourlifeblood, but this issue of Our Life And Timestakes a closer look at our bone and sinew —our delegates.

Our delegates do a lot more than enforceour union rights on the job and file grievances.They’re advocates, organizers, communicators,detectives, educators — and more. We call onthem to be the voice of reason and look tothem when we need a protective, guidinghand. And it’s no secret that if we want tokeep our Union and its chapters strong weneed more of them.

Many of our delegates, like Cape Cod Hospital’s Bernard Bowens, have dedicateddecades of their lives to the work and haveseen themselves grow and change over theyears, today possessing judgment and wisdomthat only experience brings.

“I’ve calmed down,” says Bowens, a chef atCape Cod and a delegate for 25 years. “I’velearned how to negotiate across a table. NowI know that no one is all angels and no one isall devils.”

Others are young and new to the job, butno less vital as standard bearers for 1199SEIU.As work/life issues shift for a changing work-force, they bring inventive methods of problemsolving and fresh approaches to communication.

Emily Rodriguez, a 32-year-old delegatefrom Springfield, MA, became an activist whenshe started working as a Personal Care Atten-dant caring for her late father. She has lobbiedelected officials on behalf of consumers andhelped win training benefits for PCAs.

“I realized that as an active Union memberI could help those who are most vulnerable andin need while at the same time help workers,like myself, who care for them,” says Rodriguez.

Our delegates are the people who oftencome in early and stay late so they can learnhow to keep us safe in our workplaces and passalong that knowledge to the rest of us. They areequally adept at reading people and collectivebargaining agreements. Off the clock, many ofour delegates dedicate themselves to making adifference in society and in our communities.

In 1997 CNA Micheline Louise-Charleshelped organize her institution, FountainheadCare Center in Miami, FL. Throughout the yearsshe has also been active in Florida’s Haitiancommunity, helping make the path easier forother immigrants.

“Whenever there was a march for immigra-tion at the statehouse in Tallahassee, I wasthere,” she says. “When I came here I didn’tknow the language or the culture. The firstcompany I worked for took advantage of me.Because of what happened to me I want tomake sure other people’s eyes are opened.”

In last November’s election, delegateshelped organize the Union’s volunteers whowere instrumental in electing PresidentObama to his historic second term. Several ofthem, including surgical technologist RenellaMitchell from Sound Shore Medical Center inNew Rochelle, NY, were in the group thattraveled to Washington, D.C. for InaugurationDay on Jan. 21.

“I know with all of the hard work ourmembers put in we made a difference,” saysMitchell. “People saw that we were there andthey became willing to do more.”

Every delegate on these pages understandsthe willingness to do more. So too do their unsung brothers and sisters in our institutions.The challenge now is for us to follow the exam-ple by which our delegates lead; to step for-ward and take up the mantle of defendingworkers’ rights and in doing so strengthen ourUnion and the entire labor movement.

OUR FRONTLINE1199SEIU’s delegates lead by example.

New York City-area delegates sworn inat June 15, 2010 Joint Delegate Assembly.

Our delegates doa lot more thanenforce our unionrights on the joband file grievances.They’re advocates,organizers,communicators,detectives,educators — andmore.

EDITORIAL

February/March 2013 • Our Life And Times 4

DELEGATE IS A ROLE MODEL

In 1990 I became a CNA andwas employed at an 1199 facil-ity, St. Vincent’s Hospital inManhattan. I learned about

the Training and Upgrading Fundand became a Patient Care Techni-cian. Having a passion for what theUnion stands for, I became a dele-gate and got very involved in Unionactivities such as rallies, lobbying,organizing and door knocking.I even had the opportunity to attendthe 2004 SEIU Convention inPuerto Rico and appeared in a television ad sponsored by the1199SEIUGreater NY HealthcareEducation Project.

An active delegate gains experi-ence in many areas of the Union andwe share information with ourmem bers to give them knowledgeand power. When St. Vincent’sclosed in 2010, I went to work atMaimonides Hospital in Brooklyn.Though I was only there for a shorttime, I wanted to ensure that othermembers could achieve their goalsthrough things like the Trainingand Upgrading Fund. I gave theminformation that was vital to theirsuccess.

On the day I retired the RNpresented me with an award for myservice, and my co-workers gave mean awesome farewell party. I believethose honors are not only for mywork as a PCT but also for whatI helped achieve as an 1199SEIUdelegate. Solidarity to all!

ROSITA CHASE Retiree, Brooklyn, NY

CALLS FOR RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP

Iam an 1199SEIU member atNathan Littauer Hospital andNursing Home in Gloversville,NY. I oppose the new gun law

that dictates what kind of gun NewYorkers can or cannot have, as wellas where one may purchase items tomaintain arms that are not even onthe list.

I live in a rural area of the state,where hunting is a common sport.I personally hunt not only as sport,but also as a means to supplementfood for the table. The rifle I huntwith (semiautomatic) has one fea-ture that the military adopted fromcivilians—now it’s on the ban list,and I can’t use it.

Furthermore, I want to pointout that hunters make up only 20%of the Americans who own firearms.There are more than 75 millionAmericans who own firearms forvarious reasons—and that is theirright under the Constitution of theUnited States.

Cars kill quite a few people inAmerica, yet no one is clamoring tomake automobiles illegal. It is ex-pected, however, that in order todrive a car you get training, you useyour car properly and you are re-sponsible. It is only if you ignore

those laws that you are penalizedand/or prosecuted. I think weshould view gun laws in a similarmanner.

STEVE RIACHNathan Littauer HospitalGloversville, NY

Editor’s Note: 1199SEIU is a com-mitted advocate for the prevention ofgun violence and supports the NYSAFE Act, which includes commonsense protections such as mentalhealth background checks and limitson high capacity ammunition.

GUN LAWS SAVE LIVES

Isometimes wonder how manypeople get really angry whenthey hear the words “Gunsdon’t kill people. People kill

people.” Or better yet when occa-sionally someone may go on abouthow it is their constitutional right tocarry semiautomatic weapons. Didthey even exist back then? What onGod’s good Earth would you huntfor that required such a weapon?We can come up with all kinds of arguments to hide the real issue.Guns that are registered and boughtlegally are not the issue. No individ-ual needs a semiautomatic weaponfor personal use (unless they belongto a SWAT team). All weapons needto be registered and put in lockdown safe places for storage. Allweapons not purchased with thisprocess should be considered illegaland punishable. The consequencesof not being strict with this have already proven to be all too cata-strophic. Ask yourself who reallystands to win and who stands tolose? The answer is clear. Some folksare making a great deal of money offof gun sales. Others end up dead.

LYNN MUCHINSKYHarlem Hospital, New York City

HEALTH & SAFETY TRAININGSHOULD BE REQUIRED

The clinic setting we workin is physically and men-tally demanding. It canalso be hazardous. We re-

cently took health and safety train-ing through 1199. Jean Turner Kelly,Steve Schrag and others presentedus with a lot of valuable materialthat helps us handle all aspects ofour job performance. We studiedand did exercises on topics like in-fection control, ergonomics/safe patient handling, workplace vio-lence, hazardous materials andworkers compensation and legalrights. We also learned about form-ing a health and safety committee.There have been numerous changessince we completed our class—fromthe way workers compensation ishandled to the way hazardous mate-rials are handled. We are gratefulfor the knowledge that we gainedand intend to follow through inkeeping up with these changes andputting all we learned to use. Webelieve that health and safety classesshould be a requirement for allhealthcare workers.

VIOLET HOWELLSHEREEN BELL SEMPLE-THOMPSONCerebral Palsy Association of New York, Brooklyn, NY

This issue of Our Life And Times appropriately focuses on“Our Delegates: The Backbone of Our Union.” Too often, peoplethink of “the union” as a headquarters building, its staff andelected officers. In fact, our union is—in the first place—ourmembers. And our members are led—in the first place—by ourDelegates, whom you elect and who work alongside you every day.

Delegates deserve our highest respect. They conductgrievances, defend and advocate for our members in ourworkplaces, help run chapter and department meetings, informmembers of important events and mobilize for them, inform ourofficers and organizers of what is on the minds of our members,and volunteer for political campaigns, among other tasks. Andthey do all of this without compensation—in the meantimeholding down their own jobs, caring for their families andparticipating in their communities.

This is heroic work when you think about it and this issue ofour magazine rightfully salutes our Delegates. This is our members’Peoplemagazine, but one that respects real work and deeply heldvalues, rather than crass commercialism and cheap gossip.

As important as our Delegates have always been to thelife of our Union, their importance is only going to increase inthe months to come. Let me explain: In January, the U.S.Department of Labor reported that the percentage of Americanworkers who belong to unions is the lowest it has been in nearlya century. Nationally, union membership has been declining formany years, but the new figures reflect the layoffs of hundreds ofthousands of teachers, firefighters, sanitation and other publicworkers; and the elimination of union rights in Wisconsin,Indiana, Michigan and other former union strongholds. Whatthis means for the workers affected is less or no healthcarecoverage and pension benefits, lower wages, and no protectionson the job—if they still have jobs.

Fortunately, we in 1199SEIU have not yet been affected bythis trend. In fact, we continue to grow in many regions of ourunion. It helps when you belong to a union of hundreds ofthousands of members, with a strong political action programto protect against funding cuts and a strong new organizingprogram to continue to grow. But we are hardly immune fromattacks. And we don’t live in a vacuum or on an island. The lossof union strength nationally affects us and encourages many ofour employers. Having a large membership does not make us“bullet-proof.” The United Mineworkers once had hundreds ofthousands of members; now it has 30,000. The United AutoWorkers once had 1.5 million members; now it has 400,000.

The single most essential key to a strong union is havingstrong chapters in our institutions, and the key to strongchapters is strong Delegates and enough of them. In the comingmonths, you will hear much more about “chapter-building,” bywhich we really mean chapter-strengthening. This will beginnext month when you elect your Delegates. But it will hardlyend there. We are now beginning to correct some longstandingdeficiencies. Our union has a new Director of Education andLeadership Development and we intend to give every Delegateand Organizer the training and tools necessary to best representyou to our employers.

But union membership is not a spectator sport. It isaudience participation: every 1199SEIU member has a part toplay in attending department and chapter meetings, joining ourPolitical Action Fund, responding to calls for action. OurDelegates understand this and answer the call. They warrantour deep admiration and appreciation. I know they certainlyhave mine.

THE PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Letters

The Backbone of Our UnionThe key to strong chapters is strong delegates.

George Gresham


WISDOM EXPERIENCE

OUR DELEGATES

&This issue of Our Life And Times is devoted to ourdelegates; among them are long-serving memberswho have dedicated decades to protecting themembers they represent and keeping the Unionstrong at the institutions where they work. On thefollowing pages is the first of a two-part photofeature dedicated to our long-time delegates, likeunit secretary Ruby Graham-Joseph, who has for40 years represented 1199ers at MontefioreMedical Center in the Bronx, NY. The group is inno way meant to be a comprehensive picture ofour Union. Instead, it’s a cross-section ofexperienced members who we asked to sharesome insights they’ve gained over their manyyears as trade unionists. In the coming monthswe’ll be posting additional photos from thefeature on the web at www.1199SEIU.org

6February/March 2013 • Our Life And Times

OUR DELEGATES

Activity transport aide BarbaraTice has been a delegate for19 years at Crystal LakeNursing and Rehab, Bayville,NJ. She has worked at theinstitution for 40 years.

Unit secretary RubyGraham-Joseph hasbeen a delegate for40 years at MontefioreMedical Center in theBronx, NY

RN Debra Friedlandhas been a delegatefor 18 of her 20 yearsat St. John’s EpiscopalHospital in FarRockaway, NY.


CNA Carol Willis hasserved as a delegatefor 16 of her 19 yearsat Terence CardinalCooke Health CareCenter in New YorkCity.

CNA Quettie Isoff hasbeen a delegate for 12years at Palm GardensNursing Home inMiami, FL

PHOTO: MAGGIE STEBER

Laboratorytechnologist TomCloutier has worked atSt. Barnabas Hospitalin the Bronx, NY since1979. He became adelegate in 1980.

Agroup of 120 members of1199SEIU traveled fromWashington, D.C. on Jan. 21 towitness the historic inaugurationand swearing in of President

Barack Obama for his second term as Presidentof the United States. Every region of the Unionwas represented in the contingent. The 1199erswere invited as thanks for their exceptional hardwork during this year’s Presidential campaign.

“It’s pretty overwhelming for me to be here,”said Marie Mattoli, a CNA at Champlain ValleyPhysicians Hospital and who traveled fromPlattsburgh, NY with her husband Jeff. “Eventhough I worked hard to be here, seeing thePresident is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, so I feelpretty honored.”

Mattoli was an 1199SEIU Member PoliticalOrganizer in Upstate New York’s North Countryand also signed up over 100 members for theUnion’s Political Action Fund. She’s determinedto break her own record by signing 200 peoplethis year, she says.

Dotting their section on the National Mallwith familiar purple, 1199ers were among theestimated one million people who gathered thereto witness, in the words of New York SenatorCharles Schumer, “the simplicity and innatemajesty” of the inauguration of the nation’s 44thpresident. The grey January sky stretched overthe Capitol Building like canvas as the crowdchatted happily and kept moving to shake off thewinter chill. Adults hoisted little ones onto theirshoulders for a better view while seniors restedon benches. The convivial atmosphere warmedthe spirit, if not the body.

Hilda Haye was among the sixMassachusetts Region members who rode thebus down to Washington, D.C. from 1199SEIU’s

Manhattan headquarters. “I was excited for our president to get

another chance in the White House to finish a lotof unfinished business like health care andimmigration,” says Haye, a diagnostic technicianat Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. “Overthe years immigration has taken a back burnerwith every president. We have so manyundocumented workers here and they have noway out of hiding. They’re suffering and scaredto talk. They have no voice.”

Haye worked as a Member PoliticalOrganizer, campaigning for Sen.Elizabeth Warren and traveling toNew Hampshire to door knock and

get out the vote for President Obama. “I couldn’t find the words for my

happiness,” she says of President Obama’s andSenator Warren’s victories.

Angelica Kogan, a home attendant with theFar Rockaway Agency in Queens, NY, wasmoved by President Obama’s inaugural address,which spoke of renewal, equality and thelimitless possibilities of the American vision.

“It really had an effect on me. He said what Ifeel: We are all Americans. We help others. We areproblem solvers. That’s how I feel about myself. Ilove helping other people and I am a problemsolver, that’s why I am an American,” said Kogan,who is originally from Uzbekistan in Central Asia.

“Today really made me proud,” said RenellaMitchell, a surgical technologist at Sound ShoreMedical Center in New Rochelle, NY “It showedthat we are all people standing together and wewill go forward. This shows that spiritually weare all connected and there is a superior beingthat brings us all together. We really are ablessed people.”

1199SEIU Members Attend President Obama’s Inauguration.

POLITICS

FORWARD”“WE ARE ALL PEOPLE STANDINGTOGETHER AND WE WILL GO

A group of 120 members of 1199SEIU were among themillion people that joyfully gathered on the National Mallin Washington, D.C. to witness President Obama’sinauguration on Jan. 21. At left, attendees cheer thehistoric moment. Below are Marie Mattoli (with husbandJeff) from Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital; anunidentified woman watching the inauguration; RenellaMitchell from Sound Shore Medical Center in NewRochelle, NY; Hilda Haye from Cape Cod Hospital inHyannis, MA and 1199SEIU retiree Vincent King.


For some 1199ers like MichelineLouis-Charles, who came to the U.S. fromHaiti in 1974, activism is a way of life.

“When I came here I didn’t knowthe language or the culture. The firstcompany I worked for took advantageof me. Because of what happened tome I want to make sure other people’seyes are opened,” she says.

Louis-Charles has been a CNA atFountainhead Care Center in Miami,FL for 26 years. She helped organizethe facility in 1997.

“We were a group, but I was aleader. I went to the Union meetings.I was on the front of the picket lines,”she says. “I didn’t care if I was goingto lose my job as long as it was forsomething right.”

Aside from being one of1199SEIU’s most active Florida regiondelegates, regularly participating inUnion organizing drives, marches,lobby days, demonstrations and otherevents, Louis-Charles has over theyears dedicated much of her time tohelping other immigrant workers andthe immigration reform movement.

“Whenever there was a march atthe statehouse in Tallahassee forimmigration, I was there,” she says.

Before she was a member of1199SEIU, Louis-Charles was leader inUnite For Dignity, a cooperative effortof SEIU and UNITE to organizeFlorida nursing home workers thatpredated the region’s merger into1199SEIU. In addition to organizingFlorida healthcare workers, Unite ForDignity was at the vanguard of makingchange for immigrant workers andtheir families. The program confrontedthe need for change around the majorissues that affect immigrants, includinghealthcare, education, and immigrationpolicy and workers’ rights.

“We did trainings on everything,”she says. “Domestic violence, children’seducation. Before elections I went outto help new voters.”

Louis-Charles’ passion is fueled byremembering how she was treated whenshe first arrived in the U.S., she says.

“Managers would say terriblethings to me. They’d call me a boatperson and say that things can’tchange. Because I didn’t speak a lot ofEnglish they thought I couldn’t doanything,” she says. “I had fivechildren. I woke up every day and wentto two jobs. I couldn’t afford healthinsurance.

“I found out it wasn’t only myexperience,” she continues. “If I wasafraid I wouldn’t have been able tofind out what was going on.”

Louis-Charles says things havegotten better for Haitians inFlorida. She’s proud to be a modelfor other Union members throughher work with Unite For Dignityand as a strong delegate leader.

“I feel great. I helped fivechildren through college. When Icame here I worked in factories andhotels,” she says. “I went back toschool. My oldest is a doctor nowand my youngest just passed thebar. It doesn’t matter what anyonecalled me.”

Helen Moss, a medical recordsclerk at Southside Hospital inBayshore, NY, wanted to find outwhat was going on in the schools ofher town of Brentwood on LongIsland, NY, so she ran for thetown’s school board and was thefirst Latina elected to the board.

“I decided to run because I feltthat the bar could be raised,” shesays. “It’s not as easy as it sounds.You’re dealing with an institutionthat’s been a certain way for years,and you want to make change, andpeople say ‘we’ve always donethings this way.’”

Moss is the mother of twogrown children — one Harvardgraduate and one New YorkUniversity graduate — and had thevalue of education instilled in her atan early age.

“I grew up in Belize, and mymom and dad raised nine children.My mom made sure that every oneof us completed the highest level ofeducation offered,” she says. “After Icame here I went to night school tofurther my education. When I movedto Long Island, I saw such a dis parity.I wanted to make sure my own kidsgot the best education possible.”

She didn’t consider herself anactivist; it just made more sense toher to work for better public edu ca -tion and not pay for private orparochial school.

“If you monitor your kids’education, it will be just as great asany school you have to spend extramoney on,” she says. She and herhusband also made sure the kidsspent time on homework andstudying.

“My son is my motivator. Hetold me that I should help otherkids,” she says.

Since 2006 Moss has beeninvolved with an NAACPmentoring program for high schoolstudents called the AcademicCultural Technological andScientific Olympics (ACT-SO).She’s also served on numerouscouncils and advisory boards tohelp parents and improve her area’sschools.

“Brentwood is very diverse andwe’re growing. Our kids are greatand we do so many things. I want tochange the perception of ourtown,” she says.

Moss says her community workbrings her closer to her co-workersand makes for a strongercommunity within Southside, too.

“I’m not a delegate, but I go tomeetings. I’ve been to demon -strations like 10-2-10,” she says.“It helps me build personalrelationships. Everybody knows youand it’s nice to be acknowledged.”


Micheline Louis-Charles, a CNA atFountainhead Care Center in Miami,FL, has been a tireless leader in hershop as well as in her community.

OUR COMMUNITIES

LeadershipOff the ClockMembers help build stronger chapters through their community activism.

LOUIS-CHARLES’PASSION IS FUELED BYREMEMBERING HOWSHE WAS TREATEDWHEN SHE FIRSTARRIVED IN THE U.S.


Every day in ournation, 12 workersare killed on the job.And each year, threemillion are injuredor sickened in their

workplaces. The healthcareindustry is not immune from thesedangers.

The 1199SEIU EducationDepartment is going a long waytowards addressing the issue.Twice a year its Health and SafetyProgram holds a series of classesfor members in the New YorkMetropolitan Region.

“Going to the classes is oneof the best things that have everhappened to me,” says JosephIllery, an environmental servicesworker at Lenox Hill Hospital inManhattan. “I would go as far as tosay that going to classes helped savemy life. Before going to the class,I was clueless about so many of thedangers of everyday life, both onthe job and at home.”

Illery is among the scores ofmembers who have taken the nine-week course. It is offered twice ayear and meets on consecutiveMonday evenings at the Union’sManhattan headquarters. Thecurriculum includes topics as varied

as infection control, ergonomics,going green, workplace violence,hazardous materials, workers’compensation and setting up safetycommittees.

Illery notes that many peopleassociate dangerous work withoccupations such as mining,construction and law enforcement,but workplace dangers exist in mostprofessions. In fact, statisticsconfirm that nursing home work isamong the most dangerous in thenation. Back injuries, in particular,are rampant in the profession.

And although injuries anddeath have always existedin workplaces, unionsand workers’ advocates

weren’t able to seriously curbworkplace carnage until 1970 whenthe Occupational Safety and HealthAct was passed. The 1199SEIUHealth and Safety program worksclosely with the New YorkCommittee on Occupational Safetyand Health (NYCOSH), amembership organization whosemission is to extend and defendevery person’s human right to a safeand healthful work environment.

The right to a safe andhealthful workplace is also one of

the main priorities of 1199SEIUmembers, as polls and surveysfrequently indicate. And those whohave completed Health and Safetyclasses are eager to testify about thedifference it has made in their lives.

“As healthcare workers, I andmy co-workers were especiallyinterested in making sure we had asafe workplace,” says SheltonThompson, a habilitation counselorfor the Cerebral Palsy Associationof New York State. Last year sheenrolled in the class with co-workers Julia Clarke, Denise Taylorand Violet Howell.

“We took the classes,”Thompson says, “because the clinicis demanding physically andmentally, and sometimes it can behazardous.

“One of the first things welearned in class is our right toinformation concerning the safetyof our workplace.”

Thompson says that aftershe and the othersattended the firstsession, they couldhardly wait for their

remaining sessions. She and theothers also won changes at theworkplace. They include improved

handling of compensation issues,greater protection from hazardousmaterials and the replacement ofmasks with aspirators.

Illery can also point to changesat his workplace. “I’ve changed theway I lift and move things on thejob,” Illery says. “I study thematerial data sheet to eliminate orlessen the use of dangerouschemicals.”

Illery stresses that what he’slearned in the classes is not justapplicable to the workplace. “Iused what I learn at home, out inthe streets and actually wherever Igo,” he says. “I teach my childrenabout hazardous materials andsafety at home and outside.

“I believe that going to theSafety and Health class was oneof the best things that has everhappened to me. I wouldrecommend it to every member.If we all have this knowledge, wecould strike a mighty blow for asafer workplace and cleanerenvironment.”

For information about theSafety and Health Program andits classes, email: [email protected] or call 212-603-1170.

Shelton Thompson, a habilitationcounselor at the Cerebral PalsyAssociation of New York, took healthand safety classes with her co-workers at 1199SEIU’s Manhattanheadquarters.

Safety is No AccidentClasses help members maintain healthful and safe workplaces.

“I BELIEVE THECLASSES HAVEHELPED SAVEMY LIFE.”

OUR MEMBERS


1199ers wereat a Feb. 7 rallychallengingMaryland Chamberof CommercePresidentKathleen Snyderto walk a day in aminimum wageworker’s shoes.

For the past few years,Maryland-DC members havemade headlines with their Heartof Baltimore campaign for qualitycare, quality jobs, a strongerBaltimore economy and fair unionelections. This year, membersof the division have added astatewide campaign to their fightfor economic justice.

1199ers have joined labor,faith and civil rights organizationsto form Raise Maryland, a coalitionthat seeks to raise the state’sminimum wage from $7.25 to $10per hour by 2015.

“I believe wages should beraised for so many Baltimoreworkers,” says Monica Jones, an1199SEIU delegate and a CNA atBaltimore’s Springwell AssistedLiving. “I have co-workers whoaren’t in the union who are paidthe minimum wage. You can’tsupport your family with that.”

Jones is among the 1199SEIUMd-DC members who havemarched and lobbied to raiseMaryland’s minimum wage. Thestate’s current minimum is $7.25an hour, roughly $15,000 peryear for a full-time worker. For

tipped workers, such aswaitresses and car-washattendants, the minimum is 50percent less – $3.63 per hour.

Raise Maryland is fightingfor a bill that would raise theminimum to $8.25 sixty daysafter the bill’s enactment. Theminimum would go up to $9 inJuly 2014 and $10 in July 2015.Starting in 2016, the minimumwould be indexed to rise with thecost of living. The bill also wouldraise the minimum for tippedworkers from 50 percent to 70percent of the state minimum.

Supporters of the raise saythey have public opinion on theirside, including President BarackObama. “Let’s declare that in thewealthiest nation on Earth, noone who works full time shouldhave to live in poverty,” thepresident said during his Stateof the Union address in January.The president proposed raisingthe federal minimum wage from$7.25 an hour to $9 an hour. Healso called for future raises basedon increases in the cost of living.

“This single step would raise

the incomes of millions ofworking families,” PresidentObama stressed. Based onestimates by the EconomicPolicy Institute, a progressiveWashington-based think tank,the minimum-wage increase inMaryland would raise the pay forsome 536,000 workers acrossthe state. It also would create anestimated 4,280 jobs and add$492 million to the state’seconomy.

The Raise Maryland campaignkicked off on Jan. 22, a sub-freezing day when 1199ers joineda coalition of faith, communityand labor activists at anAnnapolis rally. On Feb. 7,1199ers and other coalitionmembers rallied outside theoffices of the Maryland Chamberof Commerce to challengeChamber President Kathleen T.Snyder to walk a day in theshoes of minimum wage workers.

“I’m out here for my kids andfor our future,” declared DitanyaRosebud, a cook at PickersgillRetirement Community inTowson, MD., at the rally.

“Working people shouldn’t haveto choose between bus fare andpaying a bill. These peopleshould walk a day in our shoes.”

Raising the minimum alsohas emerged as an importantfront in the fight for women’sequality. In 2012, according toBureau of Labor Statistics data,about 4.2 million workers earnedthe minimum wage or less. Some2.8 million of those, 64 percent,are women.

Monica Jones is a singlemother with three children and agrandchild. “It’s ridiculous whatwe have to do with the little thatwe earn,” she says. “We definitelyneed a higher minimum andhigher wages for us all.”

MINIMUM WAGE IS A LABOR ISSUEMaryland-DC members help lead state campaign.

“You can’tsupport yourfamily withthe minimumwage.”

1. Restorative CNA Danny Motaoften works as a team withfellow Restorative CNACatherine Bird (shown in photo8). Mota has been at Delaire forfour years.

3. CNA Devin Pittman is thesingle mom of three kids (ages14, 10 and 2), but says jugglingschedules, homework, bathtime and a hectic life doesn’tdampen her love for her work.“I’ve always been a helper. If Idon’t have anything I’ll give youmy heart, that’s just the waymy mother raised me,” shesays.

2. Ruby N. Roman has been aCNA at Delaire for more than 26years. She became a Restora -tive CNA a few years ago whenthere was an opening in thedepartment. She is currentlytaking delegate training inpreparation for becoming adelegate in the future.“I like to communicate withthe employees and with thepatients,” says Roman. “I liketo see improvement and Ilike to encourage people.”

WORK WE DO

THE WORK WE DO:

Delaire GardensAssisted LivingAt Delaire Gardens and Assisted Livingin Linden, NJ, 1199ers help patientswith many different kinds of issues:some patients stay only for short visits,like joint replacement rehabilitationcases, while others, like residents withAlzheimer’s, are at Delaire for the longterm. 1199SEIU represents service andmaintenance workers at the institution,like CNA Devin Pittman, whoacknowledges a connection to herresidents that many people don’tunderstand. “I love my patients,” saysPittman, “I just love helping them. It’shard not getting attached and thenwhen they leave us it’s difficult.”

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4. “When I take care of mypatients I think about myself. Itcould be me. I’m not young. Icould be in this situation,” saysCNA Rolna LaFleur, snapping herfingers. “It all goes by so fast.Life is nothing. No time at all.Anything can happen to you.”

6. “I take care of the patients,transfer them, feed them, washthem — provide total care,”says CNA Gertha Dorley, whohas worked at the institutionfor 20 years.

5. “I don’t think it’s so much achallenge for me as it is aprivilege,” says Restorative CNACarolyn Griggs-Cromartie, adelegate at Delaire for 28 years.“It could be my parents orgrandparents. It’s just good toknow that you’re here to helpsomeone and take care of theresidents.”

8. Restorative CNA CatherineBird, who often teams with CNADanny Mota, (see photo 1) hasbeen at Delaire for 27 years.“We like the residents, and thiswork is more one-on-one. Weget to deal with differentpatients every day. When theyreach their potential we sendthem out, and they send us newones to work with,” says Bird.

7. CNA Sandra Lopez has beenat Delaire for eight years. “I likehelping people,” she says. “Butit’s hard when the floors arefull.”

“WHEN I TAKE CAREOF MY PATIENTSI THINK ABOUTMYSELF. IT COULDBE ME. I’M NOTYOUNG. I COULD BEIN THIS SITUATION,”

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The nation continues to dig itself out fromthe 2008 economic crisis. Progress has beenslow and recovery for those on the bottomrung of the economic ladder has beenespecially tough. For example, unemploymentduring December 2012 and January 2013 roseat a faster rate for workers between the agesof 18 and 29 than it did for workers as awhole. Among African American youth, thejobless rate stands officially at 28 percent,and tops 50 percent in several inner-citycommunities.

Even college graduates who are ableto find jobs aren’t immune. A 2009 YaleUniversity study showed students whograduate into a recession can expect to earn a10 percent lower wage after a decade of workthan they otherwise would have earned in astrong economy.

Unions are on the frontlines of the fightfor emergency measures to address this crisis.1199SEIU, for example, has won funding forjobs and training. But it also has developeda special approach to its young members.The Union’s PurpleGold Program engages,educates and empowers members under theage of 35. Some 70.000 members fall intothat category.

“I love my job as a PCA (Personal CareAttendant), but I also want to have a greatervoice about conditions,” says Emily Rodriguez,

a 32-year-old 1199SEIU PurpleGold memberand delegate from Springfield, MA.

It was her love for her father and herdesire to help him and others that ledRodriguez to 1199SEIU and social activism.“In 2011, I became a PCA for my dad,Rodriguez says. “He succumbed to cancerafter seven months, but caring for himconvinced me that I wanted to do the samefor others.”

Rodriguez had been a retail worker earlierin her work life, but had never been a unionmember. Being a member of 1199SEIUopened her eyes, she says. “I realized that asan active Union member I could help thosewho are most vulnerable and in need while atthe same time help workers, like myself, whocare for them.”

Rodriguez became a delegate and soonfound herself in meetings exchanging noteswith co-workers and at the statehouselobbying elected officials on behalf ofconsumers and workers.

Her political work was instrumental inwinning a Training Fund in a recent PCAcontract. The Fund offers classes to PCAs infirst aid, basic computer skills and universalhealthcare precautions.

“I feel that being an activist also makesme a better PCA,” Rodriguez emphasizes.“I feel that I’ve become more empatheticand connected.”

Rodriguez also has become an enthusiasticspokesperson for the PurpleGold program.“Companies in our country have become soanti-union,” she says. “We have to begin tochange that. We have to let young peopleknow the importance of unions.”

Rodriguez says she is heartened byrecent developments in the Massachusettsregion.

We are learning to use social media in ourorganizing work,” she says enthusiastically.“I think that’s important because it means weare combining the old methods with the new.And I think we have to use both.

“I think we have to meet people wherethey are.” Rodriguez and other PurpleGoldmembers are building their program to helpprepare young members to lead the broaderlabor movement to where it needs to go.

Emily Rodriguez, a PCA from Springfield, MA, is a member of 1199SEIU’s PurpleGold program.

ECONOMICRECOVERYIS SLOW FOR YOUNGWORKERS

“We need tocombine theold with thenew.”

PurpleGold Programis helping to addressthe crisis.

OUR MEMBERS

ROSE LINCOLN PHOTO


Massachusetts Region per-sonal care attendants(PCAs) were for the first

time this October able to takeclasses through the 1199SEIUTraining and Upgrading Fund(TUF). The free TUF classes are anew contract benefit for the PCAsand included training in CPR, theuse of an Automated External De-fibrillator, universal precautions anda six-week computer basics class.They were offered at 11 locationsthat included Boston, Springfield,Lawrence and New Bedford andenrolled 675 students.

“I took the CPR classes and itwas really fun,” says Gotdry Mills, aPCA from Fall River who is also inthe Union’s Leaders in Training

program. “I also took the defibrilla-tor course and the universal precau-tions course, which was reallyhelpful because it showed me whatI have to deal with and what I don’thave to deal with [on the job].”

1199SEIU represents 32,000PCAs in Massachusetts. The classesare a major step forward for thePCA profession, which requires noformal training in Massachusetts.

“People are excited,” says AnaMatos, a PCA in Lawrence. “Theywant to keep learning. We got a cer-tificate that goes in our record atthe end of the day and they’re look-ing forward to different kinds ofclasses in the future.”

A Labor-Management Commit-tee of the PCA Workforce Council,

the state agency that employs PCAs,gives workers some input into whattypes of courses they think would bemost beneficial for their profession.Matos, whose consumers are hermother-in-law and father-in-law, saysthe classes bolster workers’ abilitiesand self-confidence, which is goodfor consumers.

“Sometimes people think that ifthey’re working with family mem-bers they don’t have to wear gloves;that things like that don’t matter, butthey do. You have to do all the samethings no matter who you are work-ing with. It’s for their protection aswell,” she says.

At press time a second, ex-panded group of the classes was inprogress. It includes English for

Speakers of Other Languages.For more information call877-409-8283 ext. 8 or [email protected].

Our Life And Times Editor JJ Johnson

First-Ever Training Courses for Bay State PCAs

JJ Johnson, a widely respectedlabor journalist and lifelongleader for progressive causes,

retired on Dec. 31, 2012, from theposition of editor of 1199SEIU’sOur Life And Times. Johnson su-per vised the widely celebrated pub-lication for 13 years. He joined1199SEIU through its merger withSEIU Local 144, where he was thecommunications director. Beforecoming to Local 144 Johnson di-rected communications for NewYork City’s AFSCME DistrictCouncil 1707, which representsthousands of day care, social serviceeducation and home health workers.

1199SEIU Pres. George Gre-sham couldn’t attend Johnson’s Jan-uary retirement celebration, so hesent a recorded message.

“You deserve all the happiness

that’s ahead of you in the future,”said Gresham, who was joined onthe video by former 1199SEIU VPsGerald Hudson and Patrick Gas-pard. “You understand the hopesand aspirations of working people. Ican tell you that you will never bereplaced because it’s not possible toreplace you.”

For his entire adult life Johnsonhas been a tireless advocate forpeace, justice and the workingclass. When he was barely out ofhis teens, he went to jail rather thanfight in the Vietnam War, which hebelieved to be immoral and unjust.Johnson, along with David Samasand Dennis Mora, were the first ac-tive duty GIs to refuse to go toVietnam. They spent 28 months inLeavenworth Prison for this act ofconscience and became known as

The Fort Hood Three.Johnson’s late father, James

Alexander Johnson, was a militantrank-and-file leader in the Distribu-tive Workers (now the RWDSU)District 65. He supported his son’santiwar position and garnered muchof the Fort Hood Three’s support inlabor circles. After JJ Johnson’s re-lease from prison, he dedicated hislife to the labor movement, civilrights, social justice, environmental-ism and a host of progressive causesin the U.S. and abroad. Throughlabor journalism Johnson is commit-ted to telling the stories of workingpeople with a dignity and honestyrarely seen in today’s commercialmedia.

“From his chosen profession oflabor journalism to his anti-war ac-tivism, JJ has always exemplified

what a commitment to the move-ment is all about,” says 1199SEIUExecutive VP Estela Vazquez.

JJ Johnson, Editor of Our Life And Times, Retires

AROUND THE UNION

Gotdry Mills of Fall River, MA., is a PCAfor her legally blind daughter, Te’kahn.Mills was among the PCAs who tookfirst-ever training courses through the1199 Training Fund this fall.

“Not being a citizen here is like knocking on a doorthat doesn’t open for you,” said Santa Then, apatient care associate at Mount Sinai Hospital inNYC, at Jan. 25 1199SEIU Citizenship Programcelebration. Originally from the Dominican Republic,she was sworn in as a U.S. citizen on April 6, 2012.

On Jan. 25 the 1199SEIU Na-tional Benefit Fund (NBF)and Training and Employ-

ment Funds honored the 558 mem-bers of 1199SEIU who in 2012became U.S. citizens with helpfrom the 1199SEIU CitizenshipProgram. More than 200 new citi-zens and their families attended the11th annual celebration, whichwas held at NBF headquartersin Manhattan.

The evening’s program in-cluded a dance performance bymembers of the 1199SEIU Latinos

Unidos Committee and congratula-tory remarks from Brooklyn Con-gressman Hakeem Jeffries. CeciliaAdu, a home health aide with theNew York Foundation for SeniorCitizens, was among the programparticipants who shared their experiences on the path to citizenship.

“I wanted to become a citizenbecause I wanted my voice to beheard and to be able to vote. I alsowanted the freedom to travel easily,to just grab my passport and go,”says Adu, who originally from

Ghana. “These are the rights I haveas a citizen of the United States.”Adu was sworn in as a U.S. citizenon March 30, 2012. Since its inception in 2001, 1199SEIU’s Citizenship Program has helpedmore than 8,600 members becomeU.S. citizens.

The program assists eligiblemembers with counseling, assis-tance with the application process,interview skills coaching and more.For more information call the Citi-zenship Program at (646) 473-8915or log onto www.1199nbf.org.

1199SEIU CitizenshipProgram Celebration

THE BACK PAGE

This issue’s Work We Do featuresDelaire Assisted Living in Linden, NJ,where 1199SEIU members dedicatethemselves to the care of patientsand residents with a variety of issues— from short-stay rehab to long-termresidents with Alzheimer’s Disease.See pages 12 and 13.

Healing Hands

Our Life & Times

Documents

new york

life andtimes

jim tynanour life

union strong

times editor

times1199seius members

years of experience

chef bernard bowens