Our Life & Times

A JOURNAL OF 1199SEIUMay/June 2011

WE’RE FIGHTING

BACK

Thousands of 1199ers andtheir family membersmarched May 14 to

support Pocono (PA)Medical Center workers’

contract fight.See page 11.

p.10 p.13Our Life And Times, May/June 2011, Vol 29, No 3 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 VICE

PRESIDENTS:Norma Amsterdam Yvonne Armstrong Lisa BrownAngela Doyle Aida Garcia George KennedySteve Kramer Patrick Lindsay Joyce NeilJohn Reid Bruce Richard Mike Rifkin Neva ShillingfordMilly SilvaVeronica TurnerLaurie ValloneEstela Vazquez

EDITOR:J.J. JohnsonSTAFF WRITER:Patricia KenneyDIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY:Jim TynanPHOTOGRAPER:Belinda GallegosART DIRECTION & DESIGN:Maiarelli StudioCOVER PHOTO:Jim Tynan

Our Life And Times ispublished 6 times a year by1199SEIU, 310 West 43rdSt., New York, NY 10036.Subscriptions $15 per year.Periodicals postage paid atNew York, NY and additionalmailing 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.6Orange RegionalMedical Center’sNurse of Distinctionaward winnerLinda Piroleau

Contents3 THE HIGH COST OF POOR HEALTH Caregivers must care for themselves, too.

4 PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Our country isn’t broke, but the economy needs to be fixed.

5 FIGHTING FOR A FAIR ECONOMY We’re helping build a grassroots movement of change for working people.

6 THE WORK WE DO Our Registered Nurses at Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown, NY.

8 OUR GOOD HEALTH Living a healthy lifestyle is also a dollars and cents issue.

10 MASSACHUSETTS AND NJ ADVOCACY DAYS Quality care and jobs are focus of Boston and Trenton rallies.

11 WE ARE FAMILY Thousands attend May 14 rally supporting workers at Pocono Medical Center.

12 NEGOTIATING WITH HCA Florida members make unprecedented gains.

13 PEOPLE Baltimore’s Mario Roseborough is a singer.

15 AROUND THE UNION May Day, contract roundup and a Syracuse rally.

3 May/June • Our Life And Times

The majority of 1199SEIU members and their families in the NewYork metropolitan region are covered by the 1199SEIUNational Benefit Fund. In addition to these half millionmembers and immediate family in the Fund, the NBFalso administers benefits for homecare and nursinghome members in the New York region.The well-being of members is in everyone’s interest.

Poor health exacts a heavy toll on members’ quality oflife and their productivity, and on the bottom line ofthe Funds. Therefore, the NBF, jointly administered byan equal number of management and union trustees,constantly searches for ways to improve the health ofmembers and their families.Towards this goal, the NBF constantly takes

statistical snapshots. And based on the latest statisticsand screenings of members who have attended recentNBF health fairs, our collective health is in criticalcondition.Three out of eight NBF recipients are being treated

for hypertension and one of seven are now treated fordiabetes. Almost three out of four members screened atNew York health fairs are either hypertensive or pre-hypertensive. These chronic diseases are reducingmembers’ quality of life and sapping our health funds.

• The NBF spends $1.4 billion each year for healthbenefits.• $800 million of that goes to medical claims — and63.5% of that $800 million is spent on membersand spouses who have chronic conditions,• $88 million is spent on members and spouses withheart disease,• $213 on members and spouses with diabetes, and,• $332 million on members and spouses withhypertension.

By addressing these chronic diseases, countless lives could besaved and funds could be made available for otherimportant uses. For NBF-covered members, help isavailable. The NBF and 1199SEIU have just launched acampaign to create a culture of health. Members arebeing urged to get moving by doing some form ofexercise, improve their eating habits, taking part indisease management programs and taking advantage ofprofessional health coaches. A 24-hour nurse helplinehas been established to assist callers.At the centerpiece of the culture of health

campaign is a disease management program. Thisincludes personalized support to help manage cardiacconditions and diabetes. Members are able to work

with experienced nurses via phone. The program isvoluntary and entirely confidential and it does not inany way replace the member’s treatment plan with heror his doctor.And members do not have to be covered by the

NBF to incorporate many of these common-sensechanges into their lifestyle. Other health funds includewellness programs and tips on issues like nutritionand exercise.

Leslie Stafford is a patient access representative and delegate atBoston Medical Center. Using the Oprah Boot Campprogram, she’s lost 18 pounds. Though slim when shewas younger, her weight crept up over the years. Nowshe’s gone from a size 14 to a size 8. She power walksdaily, drinks plenty of water, cuts out foods like sugarand pork, and doesn’t eat after 8 p.m. “You have towant to do it for you. If you try to do it for somebodyelse you’re not going to be the person you really wantto be,” she says.Isn’t it about time we all took care of ourselves?

EDITORIAL

The well-being of members isin everyone’s interest. Poorhealth exacts a heavy toll onmembers’ quality of life andtheir productivity, and on thebottom line of the Funds.

The High Cost ofPOOR HEALTHTake care, caregivers.

A homecare worker from theCooperative Agency in theBronx, NY, having her bloodpressure checked at an1199SEIU National Benefit Fundhealth fair held in April at theagency’s headquarters.

MAY DAY SOLIDARITY

On May Day, Inter-national WorkersDay, 1199SEIUmembers wereproud to join with

several unions, immigration andcommunity groups in a marchfrom Union Square to FoleySquare in New York City. Signsdemanded: “Stop the deporta-tions!” (392,000 people were de-ported last year), “Make thebillion aires pay!” “Stop militaryspending in Iraq, Afghanistan,Pakistan, and Libya.” In 2011New Yorkers will pay $15.5 billionin taxes to maintain the war budget.May Day commemorates the

huge labor strikes of the 1880’swhere workers fought and diedfor the eight-hour day. Duringthe repressive McCarthy periodin this country, May Day waspushed aside in favor of LaborDay. But five years ago it was re-vived with demands for immigra-tion reform. This year’s rally wasremarkable because communityand immigration groups madeevery effort to join with the laborcontingent.1199SEIU’s President

George Gresham said at our lastNew York Region Joint DelegateAssembly that the unionizedlabor force is shrinking, so weneed to unite with communitygroups if we’re going to win.A good example of this is the

fight for tax reform in Oregon. Acoalition of over 250 union andcommunity groups including theSEIU, Jobs with Justice, AFSCME,the AFL-CIO, the Oregon Edu-cation Association, and the AARPworked together. They organizeda grassroots campaign to closestate budget deficits by increasingtaxes on the rich and corpora-tions. And they won. In Vermont,the Nurses Union is working withthe Vermont Workers Center andundocumented immigrants whowork in the dairy industry to get asingle-payer healthcare plan atthe state level.Let’s continue to collaborate

for the needs of working people.Together we can send these billion-

aires where they belong — to themoon!

NINA HOWES Beth Israel Medical Center,New York CityRAIMUNDO VALDEZSt. Luke’s Hospital, New York City

PENSION FUND

It’s been about two yearssince we, the taxpayers,bailed out the Wall Streetbankers and insurancecompanies. It was their

corrupt quest for greater wealththat led to the collapse of oureconomy, which had a disastrouseffect on our Pension Fund. It would be most instructive

for 1199SEIU members if weknew the details of the story thatled to our Pension Fund losing afull one-third of its value, threebillion dollars, in this collapse. We urge our magazine to do

an in-depth article on this crucialissue. Only a well-informedmembership will be able to standup to the insatiably greedy WallStreet tycoons who are onceagain raking in near recordprofits while unemploymentremains high, hospitals close, andunion workers in Wisconsin andacross the country have theirbacks to the wall.

BETH ISRAEL MEDICALCENTER DELEGATES (Petrie Division) New York City

Editor’s Note: The above letterpresents a great idea and we planto do such an article in the nearfuture. And although our PensionFund was hard hit, it fortunatelywas insulated from much of thedamage that ruined other fundsand individuals. And the Fund hasprospered in the last two years.

Let’s Hear From YouOur Life And Times welcomesyour letters. Please email them [email protected] or snail mailthem to JJ Johnson, 1199SEIUOLAT, 330 West 42nd St., 7thfloor, New York, NY 10036.Please include your telephonenumber and place of work.Letters may be edited for brevityand clarity.

4May/June • Our Life And Times

Each day we’re forced to listen to politicians and pundits cryabout how our country is broke. They point to the fact that ournational debt has exploded and then call for deep cuts in publicservices and in the number of public workers.But the truth is our country is not broke. Today’s U.S. economy

is more than twice as large as it was 30 years ago. The productivityof American workers is at an all-time high. The money is there, butthe problem is that the last two decades have seen the greatestupwards transference of wealth in our nation’s history. The richhave gotten richer and the super-rich have earned super profits.Fully 80 percent of our nation’s total income growth over the pasttwo decades has gone to the top one percent in our nation.During this year’s first quarter, Exxon, the world’s largest oil

company, posted a 69 percent earnings increase. Profits for Chevron,the nation’s number two oil company, rose 36 percent, and fornumber three, ConocoPhillips, it was 43 percent. And these threemega-corporations didn’t pay a penny in federal taxes last year.Meanwhile, one in six workers is unemployed. Real wages have

declined. Every 20 seconds another worker files for bankruptcy, andevery minute two more families lose their homes. Yet, instead ofsupporting programs that provide good jobs and essential services,too many of our elected officials are promoting more free rides forthe corporations and tax cuts for the rich.

They aim to pay for these giveaways by destroying ourpublic services, neglecting our cities’ infrastructures, dismantlinghealthcare reform, scapegoating immigrant workers and decimatingour unions with so-called right-to-work and other anti-workerinitiatives.Our economy no longer works for American workers. And it is

time to turn it around by shifting our nation’s priorities. And it’stime for those who have been taking all of our country’s wealth tobegin giving back to the rest of us. Our national union, SEIU, hasbegun the process with a campaign called Fight for a Fair Economy(FFE). We at 1199SEIU are an integral part of that campaign.The campaign recognizes that we can’t solve the crisis with one

bargaining fight, organizing campaign or political election at a time.We need a comprehensive plan that tackles the fundamentalimbalance of power in the country and that puts the needs ofworking families at the top of our national priorities.

The recent fightback in states such as Wisconsin and Ohio areindicative of the anger across the country and of people’s willingnessto confront the rich and powerful. We will seek to harness thatanger by uniting with other unions and engaging the broadestcoalition possible.

Among our goals are preserving quality public services,protecting and strengthening healthcare reform, stopping anti-worker attacks and paving the way for comprehensive immigrationreform.SEIU has targeted 17 key cities, five of which are in 1199SEIU

jurisdictions. They are Boston, New York, Baltimore, Washington,D.C. and Miami. Our plan is to recruit at least 10,000 memberactivists to help lead efforts in these five cities. Meetings of delegatesand other members are taking place now across 1199SEIU regionson how best to execute the campaign.Our Maryland/DC Division, which helped to initiate the Good

Jobs Better Baltimore coalition, was the first out of the gate with anaction outside the offices of Baltimore Gas and Electric, the utilityresponsible for the biggest rate hikes in the nation. Our other citieswill follow soon.The FFE campaign will peak in the summer of 2012 and extend

through next year’s national elections. Please join us by speaking toyour organizers and delegates. Only with your help will we be ableto reshape our national agenda and put the interests of workingpeople at the top of our national priorities.

THE PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Letters

Our Country Is Not BrokeBut our economy is broken.

George Gresham

New York City May Day marchers


Instead of putting ourcountry back to work,elected officials arepushing for more giveawaysto the corporations andmore tax cuts for the rich.

Baltimore’s Sinai Hospital dietary aide Byron Beckford(holding bullhorn) speaks at May 7 picket and rallyagainst Baltimore Gas & Electric’s excessive rate hike.

THE ECONOMY

NEEDED: An Economy That Works for WorkersWe’re building a grassroots movement.

Almost three years after our nation’seconomic collapse, profits are soaring for themega-corporations and the rich are gettingricher. But our economy is not working formost of our nation’s workers. And instead ofputting our country back to work, electedofficials are pushing for more giveaways to thecorporations and more tax cuts for the rich.

We have begun a movement to changethat. 1199SEIU and its national union, SEIU,have launched a campaign to change thenation’s political climate by focusing on theglaring economic inequalities and theimbalance of power that have accelerated inthe 21st century.

1199SEIU members and staff were amongthe 1,600 SEIU members and staff whogathered in Los Angeles March 26-28 to helproll out the campaign. Participants committedthemselves to:

• Shine a light on the corporations andwealthy who caused the crisis in the firstplace and are making it worse by failing toprovide good jobs or pay their share of taxes.

• Band together – in protests and at theballot box — to remind politicians that we arethe majority and we expect them to protectworkers’ rights, immigrants, and publicservices.

• Build and strengthen our unions tocreate good jobs and an economy that worksfor everyone.

1199ers – eventually 10,000 strong – will beworking in their workplaces and within theircommunities in Boston, New York City,Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Miami.Recruiting is underway and some areasalready have begun activities. For example, inthe spring, Good Jobs Better Baltimore, acommunity-labor coalition initiated by 1199ersin the Union’s Maryland-DC Division,descended on the headquarters ofConstellation Energy, the parent company ofBaltimore Gas & Electric, to expose and helpput an end to the company’s astronomical ratehikes and other destructive practices.

One of the speakers at the action wasByron Beckford, a Baltimore resident and adietary aide at Baltimore’s Sinai Hospital. “I’mnot ashamed to admit that I went without heatall winter because the utility rate was toohigh,” Beckford says. “I was forced to use myoven and space heaters.”

Beckford has spent his entire life inBaltimore and is raising a three-year olddaughter. “I grew up in Baltimore,” he says.“I see it, smell it and taste it every day, and Idon’t like what’s going on for poor andworking people. We have to make companieslike BG&E accountable.”

Coalition members have lobbied at thestate capitol and have rallied in front of theMaryland Chamber of Commerce, the big

business lobby that’s been blocking legislationto make millionaires and corporations pay theirfair share in taxes.

They also scored an impressive victorywhen they forced developers to drop their planto demolish the Read’s drug store build ing, aBaltimore landmark where one of the nation’sfirst civil rights sit-ins took place in 1955.

In Massachusetts, the MASSUNITINGcampaign kicked off on May 7. Thirteen1199SEIU members are full time canvassers forthe program and more Union members areshowing interest in the movement.

In the first six days, 1199SEIU canvassers,along with canvassers from other local groupsand community organizations, knocked onmore than 15,000 doors and received morethan 2,000 MASSUNITING commitment cards.

“I signed up for the Fight for a FairEconomy canvass because the economy isbad,” says Brandi Turner, an 1199SEIU PCAfrom Boston. “I believe everyone needshelp…By joining MASSUNITING I am makinga contribution for my family and neighbors.I like to spread the word."


THE WORK WE DO

4. Float nurse Michelle Dymondwith newborn Vivienne Louise Sharp.Dymond has three kids of her ownand works all over the hospital.“Every day I sign up and I gosomewhere different, but I just lovethe mother-baby unit,” she says. “Ijust love the newborns. It’s just ahappy environment and the staff isfriendly and helpful.”

2. “I just enjoy working with themothers and babies. I like helpingthem achieve new parenthood andhelping them transition to becomingnew parents,” says Ellen BaneMahony, who has been working onORMC’s post-partum unit for 31years. Here she’s shown withnewborn Josyah Williams.

1. Shannon Keesler, with patientJaniel Vitali, 9, says newcomputerized medical records aremaking nurses’ lives easier. “No morechasing charts around. We don’t haveto go looking for orders. It just makesthings so much more efficient.Everything just takes one click,”she says.

3. Nurse of Distinction awardwinner Linda Piroleau, shown withpatient George Burrow, has workedon ORMC’s pediatric, bone and jointand med/surg units for nine years. “I like helping people. It’s arewarding field to be in. It can be alittle scary, like when we get ourrespiratory babies,” she says. “It’s alot of critical thinking. It’s good whenthey go home. It’s challenging andrewarding.”

1

3

4


May was National Nurses Month, so Our LifeAnd Times visited some of our RNs atOrange Regional Medial Center inMiddletown, NY, for this edition of “TheWork We Do.” Among them was Nurse ofDistinction award winner Linda Piroleau.Piroleau was nominated by her peers for theannual joint labor-management prize, whichis given out to nurses for their excellenceand professional dedication. “It was sothoughtful, but I am who I am because ofmy co-workers,” she says. “We are such agreat team. We support each other.”

THE WORK WE DO: ORANGEREGIONALMEDICALCENTER’S RNS

2

CAREGIVERS MUST CARE FORTHEMSELVESOur good health is a dollars and cents issue.

Elaine Daley, a telephone operator at New York City’sMount Sinai Medical Center.

OUR HEALTH


In March, the 1199SEIU National Benefit Fund(NBF) gathered more than 1,500 New York Region delegates in the ballroom of a Manhattanhotel and delivered some startling statistics:Nearly 40 percent of NBF-eligible 1199ers haveor are at risk for heart disease, 14 percent havediabetes, and adults with high cholesterol, hy-per tension and other chronic diseases make upnearly 64 percent of the Fund’s total adulthealth costs. Additionally, 80 percent of allmembers screened at Fund health fairs in 2010had weight issues, with 36 percent of them

qualifying as obese. The meeting was part of an effort to foster a culture of good

health among all 1199SEIU members. Delegates discussed ways toencourage caregivers to spend more time caring for themselves.

“We have to lead by example,” said Lisa Greene, an RN atSt. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. “Whether it’s losing weight orquitting smoking, if you just go on preaching that’s really not theway to go.”

Elaine Daley, a telephone operator at Mount Sinai MedicalCenter in New York City, weighed 322 pounds 15 years ago.

“I was walking down the street and I passed out,” saysDaley. “I was taken to the emergency room and they diagnosedme with type 2 diabetes. It was a real wake up call.”

Since then Daley has shed about 180 pounds using a com-mercial diet plan.

“I was at the crossroads. They asked me why I wanted tolose the weight. If it was for a special event or to fit into a dress,I couldn’t have done it. I had to want to do it for myself,” saysDaley. “It wasn’t easy. It took me a good two years and it was a

real struggle, but I did it.” She says the structured meals and especially the counseling

were invaluable in keeping her on track. Today she eats sensibly,takes long regular walks, and drinks lots of water. Working in ahospital can challenge someone trying to eat well, says Daley.

“For a lot of us it’s our schedules. We work two or three dif-ferent shifts,” she says. “And also the cafeterias — we have friedchicken and cheeseburgers. The soups are so salty. If theystarted to stress nutrition people would start eating better. Theyneed to start offering better things right here.”

The NBF offers eligible members free help in reaching theirhealth and fitness goals. There are programs to help memberslose weight, quit smoking, or manage chronic conditions like dia-betes and hypertension. There are Worksite Wellness Clinics,health fairs, nutrition and fitness workshops, workshops aboutspecific health issues and topics, one-on-one health coaches anda 24-hour-a-day Nurse Helpline.

Lila Serrante, a delegate at Cooperative Homecare in theBronx, encourages her co-workers not to ignore symptoms. InFebruary 2005, Serrante severely damaged discs in her spinewhile lifting a patient. She went to work the following day eventhough she was in pain. She couldn’t walk the next day, so shewent to the emergency room. She was out of work for fivemonths.

“They thought I had a stroke because I couldn’t feel my hip,”she says. “We go to work because we’re worried about the econ-omy. We worry that if we stay home we won’t get paid, so wetake a Tylenol and a cup of tea, and go to work.”

“We only think about work, work, work, and money, moneymoney,” she says. “But money is nothing if you don’t have yourhealth.”

Actually money is something when itcomes to members’ health. A recentstudy estimated that the overall declinein health of the U.S. workforce associatedwith unhealthy behaviors like overeatingand smoking costs employers $670 peryear per employee. And as healthcarecosts climb, workers are seeing lessmoney in their pockets. For those with

contractually negotiated health coverage like NBF members, employers have to contribute more just to maintain benefits, sowage increases are smaller or there are none at all. Other members, like those in different group plans with co-payments,are paying more and more for expensive treatments and hospitalizations for preventable conditions like hypertensionand diabetes.

“When someone’s not healthy it’s a lot of maintenance foryou and your physician. It’s expensive,” says Daley. “When I washeavy I’d get letters in the mail telling me that they were con-cerned about my blood levels and I needed to come in and seethem all the time. Now I don’t get them as much. I know I need tobe vigilant about what I do because of my diabetes. My grand-mother lost a leg and my sister passed away from the disease.”

Boston Medical Center Patient AccessRepresentative Leslie Stafford.

“I invite everyoneaboard the shipwith me. I have asaying: teamworkmakes the dreamwork.”


Suggestions for a More Healthful LifeOur Life And Times asked members fortheir suggestions on living morehealthfully. Here are their submissions.

When you reach a certain age your limbs canhave pain. I do yoga. I also do other exerciseat my senior center. I run. I dance. And Iwalk. Elsie Reid, Retiree, Terence CardinalCooke Health Center, New York, NY

I walk a lot. I live eight blocks from thesubway and have access to a bus, but Ialways walk, whether it’s hot or cold. I walkvery briskly. I just can’t walk slowly. SylviaWilliams, Retiree, Roosevelt Hospital, NewYork, NY

I don’t take any drugs. Pain drugs mightaffect my other organs and I’ll wind up withanother problem, so I just do my stretchesand take supplements like fish oil andcalcium. Sometimes drugs can make your lifemore complicated. Florence Simon, Retiree,Interfaith Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY

Eat your vegetables, your fruits and drink alot of water. Apart from that, love yourselfand other people and thank God for yourlife. Mavis Williams, Retiree, Cliffside NH,Flushing, NY

At my hospital there’s a gym the doctorshelp set up. I work out there 2-3 times aweek in addition to my own gymmembership. It helps when I’m workingextra hours and I want to fit in a workout.Lynne Muchinsky, Lab/Anesthesia Tech,Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY

I watch what I eat, but I also watch howmuch. Instead of eating a whole, I eat half.Doing that I’ve lost about 18 pounds.Michael Mays, Richmond UniversityMedical Center, Staten Island, NY

I drink a protein shake every morning andtake a women’s ultra mega vitamin to helpkeep me going. I also run or walk threetimes a week. Patricia Costello, RN, BostonMedical Center, Boston, MA

We should aim for 10,000 steps per day —approximately five miles — and wear apedometer. Alberta Morgan, CommunityHealth Worker, Harlem Health PromotionCenter, New York, NY

I exercise at least four times a week for onehour. I also went from regular milk to soymilk and drinking protein shakes. I alsochanged the meats I eat to things likesalmon and turkey burgers. John Fox,Retiree, Staten Island University Hospital,Staten Island, NY

Have an appointment with yourself everyday. You can make time for other people, butyou have to set aside some time for yourself.Leslie Stafford, Patient AccessRepresentative, Boston Medical Center,Boston, MA

Leslie Stafford, a patient access representativeat Boston Medical Center, decided somethingneeded to change when she saw a photo ofherself and realized she was carrying nearly175 pounds on her 5-foot, 2-inch frame. She’slost 18 pounds in two years and has gonefrom a size 14 to a size 8 by consistently exercising and overhauling her diet. Stafforddoesn’t smoke or drink alcohol. She limits

sugar and meat. And she values mutual support in getting andstaying healthier and slimmer.

“I invite everyone aboard the ship with me,” she says.“People know that I’m a power walker, so I ask them to comewith me. If I’m going to go on a diet for a while, a co-worker andI will do it together. It’s fun and not only do others rely on you,you know that someone will be there helping you out. I have asaying: teamwork makes the dream work.”

It’s definitely not been easy, says Stafford, but she’s seenbenefits in every area of her life.

“It’s given me a clearer thinking process. I’m less forgetful.I don’t worry about what anyone’s thinking of me or how I lookor what I’m saying,” she says.

“We work in hospitals and those are some of the toughestjobs around,” she adds “I’m the first person people see whenthey come in and the last person they see when they leave.And I go home at night knowing I have done my very best.”

For more information about the National Benefit Fund’sHealth Coaches and 24-Hour a Day Nurse Helpline as well itsother wellness programs, log onto www.1199SEIUBenefits.org.

—Leslie Stafford


Bay State Members Rally for

PAYMENT REFORMThey advocate for quality care and quality jobs.

Massachusetts 1199SEIU’s an-nual Advocacy Day broughthundreds of members andtheir allies to a rally and a dayof lobbying May 11 at thestatehouse in Boston. Membersmade the trip to press for a

voice in upcoming payment reform legislation thatwill affect many 1199ers at their worksites.

1199ers say it’s important for the final version ofpayment reform legislation to include workforce train-ing and other job security measures for workerswhose roles in the hospital could change as a resultof payment reform.

Members are also seeking increased Medicaid reimbursement rates to prevent the “cost-shifting”pattern that occurs when insufficient government reimbursements drive up private insurance prices.

Other issues members discussed May 11 with legislators included:

• Maintaining full funding for the personal careattendant (PCA) program.

• Supporting the “Senior Care Options (SCO) Im-provement Act,” which would increase enrollment forseniors in the SCO program; would help reduce hospi-talizations and nursing home admissions; and wouldgive SCO PCAs the right to join 1199SEIU.

• Supporting nursing home “user-fee reform,”which would direct funding to nursing homes whichrespect the voices of their employees and which areengaged in joint labor-management work to improvequality care.

“I’m here to support health care, the PCA voice,and consumers. I'm here to unite and voice our opinion,” said Janet Patterson, a Boston PCA, at theMay 11 event.

Before heading to the statehouse, membersfrom hospitals, nursing homes and home-care agencies met at the union hall inDorchester with Massachusetts Gov. DevalPatrick for a roundtable discussion that

included 1199SEIU Pres. George Gresham.The rally at the Grand Staircase inside the

Statehouse was addressed by Mass. Division Exec. VPVeronica Turner and a host of state senators and representatives.

1199SEIU members also launched the Voices ofQuality Care initiative in April. Its aim is to ensure thathealthcare workers have a voice throughout thebudget process and that hospital reimbursements arefair, that workers are retrained as their jobs changeand that Union members work collaboratively withmanagement in their facilities.

Massachusetts’ fiscal year begins on July 1, so thebudget must be finalized and passed by June 30.

POLITICAL ACTION

New Jersey 1199SEIUmembers, nursing homeowners, and members ofadvocacy organizationscame together May 12 for a“United for Quality CareAdvocacy Day” at theTrenton War Memorial in thestate capital. Their targetwas Gov. Chris Christie’s2011-12 drastic budgetproposal that would cut $140million in funding for nursinghomes.

“We are not here forourselves, we are here for

our residents because theycan’t fight for themselves,said Patricia Mathews, a CNAat Forest Hills HealthcareCenter in Newark. “They areour friends and our familyand they deserve to spendtheir last days with dignity. Iam here to tell our electedofficials that it is theirresponsibility to protect NewJersey’s senior citizens andstop the budget cuts tonursing homes.”

Among the participantsat the rally were members of

the NJ chapter of theAmerican Association ofRetired Persons (AARP). “Ican’t remember a time whenI addressed a group that wasso enthusiastic, so involvedand so ready to fight for thethings they believe in,” saidAARP chapter president SyLarson, referring to the rallyparticipants.

Leaders of the NJSenate pledged support andvowed to fight to restore thecuts. New Jersey’s fiscalyear begins July 1.

NJ 1199ers and Consumers Unite for Quality Care

NJ 1199ers and healthcare advocates at Trenton WarMemorial May 12 rally against Gov. Chris Christie’s proposednursing homes budget cuts.

Scores of PCAs were among the hundreds ofMassachusetts members that participated in May 11Advocacy Day at the state house in Boston.

It was the largest demonstration in thehistory of East Stroudsburg, PA. That’sbecause 80 busloads of 1199SEIU members,mostly from New York City, but from as farsouth as Baltimore and as far north as Syracuse,made the trip May 14 to support the 550 unionmembers at Pocono Medical Center (PMC).The PMC workers — nursing assistants,

environmental and food service workers, labworkers, clerical employees and skilledmaintenance workers — are members of SEIUHealthcare Pennsylvania and have beenworking without a contract for seven months.Members voted late last year to maintain a

union shop, which would require all membersin the bargaining unit to become dues-payingmembers as a requirement of their employ -ment. Management insists on an open shop,which amounts to a backdoor attempt toweaken and eventually dissolve the union.“I believe that hospital workers are some

of the hardest workers you’ll find. I know whatit’s like to work hard and I want to supportpeople who are fighting for good jobs, goodinsurance and a good union,” said KeishaMurphy, a CNA at Presbyterian Hospital inManhattan who made the bus trip fromManhattan.In addition to those who came by bus,

many of the 1199ers, some 4,000 strong, alsocame in vans and cars. Many brought familymembers, with some pushing toddlers incarriages. Scores of retirees participated, somewith the help of walkers and canes.“We didn’t come to the Poconos to

honeymoon or ski,” 1199SEIU Pres. GeorgeGresham said at the rally. “The labormovement has awakened. And this is just asample of what we can do.” Gresham vowedto return with many more members untiljustice is done.“We are drawing a line in the sand and

saying, ‘No, you can’t have any more. We wantto share in some of the wealth we are helpingto create,’” said SEIU Pres. Mary Kay Henry.

Speaking on behalf of PMC workers,Kathy Walls, a patient facilitator, said PMCworkers were overwhelmed by the show ofsupport, adding, “We are determined to makeworking at PMC the kind of family-supportingjobs our community needs.”Neal Bisno, president of SEIU Healthcare

Pennsylvania, chaired the rally and introducedactor-activist Danny Glover as “our ownLethal Weapon,” a reference to Glover’s filmswith Mel Gibson. And Glover himself madereference to another one of his films, “The

Color Purple.”“I haven’t seen this much purple since

‘The Color Purple,’” he said. “We are sick andtired of being sick and tired,” he thundered,quoting the late civil rights hero Fannie LouHamer. “We all know that unions are the bestanti-poverty program in the country.”

A parade of other speakers took the stageto pledge support. They included local electedofficials and union leaders, Dr. L. Toni Lewis,chair of SEIU Healthcare; Dian Palmer,president of SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin; BillLucy, president of the Coalition of Black TradeUnionists; and Henry Nicholas, president of1199C, AFSCME in Pennsylvania.“It’s Gonna Be a Lovely Day” was among

the numbers performed by the rhythm andblues band GQ while rally participantsgathered. And although clouds hung overheadfor most of the rally and march, there was verylittle rain.“It was a wonderful, beautiful day”

said Retiree Division Exec. VP GwendolynDennis, one of the 200 or so retirees whomade the trip. “I am so happy to be able togive back for all the benefits I’ve receivedfrom our Union. Why can’t all workers havethose benefits?”

Thousands of 1199ers marched in East Stroudsburg, PA on May 14 in support of workers fighting for afair contract at Pocono Medical Center. It was the largest demonstration in the region’s history.

We Are Family!Members rally to support Pocono workers.


SOLIDARITY

A Look at Hospital Corporation ofAmerica and 1199SEIU Members


Take a drive through Floridaand it won’t take long beforeyou pass one of 38 HospitalCorporation of America (HCA)-affiliated hospitals. Founded in1968 by the Frist family inNashville, Tennessee, HCA, thelargest for-profit hospital companyin the world, primarily focused itsbusiness operations on thesouthern U.S. As one of the first investor-

owned hospital companies in thenation, HCA blazed a path forfuture businesses that turn a profit

from privatizing publicly run serviceslike prisons, welfare and childsupport enforcement. CorrectionsCorporation of America (CCA),like HCA, was also founded inNashville with the same initialinvestor, Jack Massey. Today CCAis the largest operator of privatefor-profit prisons in the world.In the last 30 years no southern

state has been more influenced byHCA’s for-profit pioneering thanFlorida. Today Florida is home tothe largest number of HCA-affiliated hospitals in the nation

with Texas trailing with 36. FloridaGov. Rick Scott was the formerhead of Columbia/HCA (itsformer name) and founder ofConservatives for Patients’ Rights,the largest-membership lobbyinggroup against healthcare reform.

Given HCA’s history andinfluence, organizing HCA-affiliated hospitals is no small feat.In Florida, the first HCA-affiliatedhospital to form a union wasCedars Medical Center neardowntown Miami. As a facility that

catered to Miami’s wealthy com -munity, the hospital offered privaterooms only to its upper-classpatients, yet paid less than averagewages to its service employees. “Our first contract took 18

months to achieve and we stuck itthrough, we got a great contract,and we passed it on,” says MichelleFowler, a respiratory technologistat University of Miami Hospital,formerly Cedars.When six more HCA-affiliated

hospitals organized and workersstarted negotiating their new

Florida members score major breakthrough.

ORGANIZING

Members of HCA statewide bargaining team April 18 in Boca Raton.

Jeanne Taylor (shown at left),a cook at Oak Hill and aregistered Republican, was somoved by her experience inTallahassee that she traveledagain the following week totestify at a hearing aboutSB 830, the anti-union bill thatwould have eliminated payrolldues deduction from publicsector union members.Following are excerpts ofher testimony:

MemberTestifies AboutValue of a Union

As a lifelong Republican, I do not see what rationale is used tosupport this bill. Republicans believe in limited government, individualfreedom, strong families and efficiency. This bill goes against those veryprinciples.

This bill impedes our ability to support the Union, which we see asvital to protecting our rights as workers. Personally, I am scared that ifthis bill were to be passed, it would undermine all I have fought for todefend workers’ rights. At Oak Hill Hospital, it is my job to ensure ourpatients get the food and nutrients they need.

While our hospital does not have a contract yet, I have seen thepositive difference the Union makes in people’s lives by sitting atbargaining tables with our management leaders. Unions don’t only fightfor better wages for all workers, they also help train us and improve thequality of care we provide our patients.

Now, by creating an obstacle for its members to pay dues, this bill isthreatening the life support of the Union. I want this legislature to realizethat while this law may not affect me now since I belong to a privateunion, it undermines the ability of key sectors of our work force tounionize, and that in turn affects all of us.


contracts, they soon realized thatgaining a contract was going totake endurance, patience and moreendurance.“It took at least two sessions to

just reach agreement on groundrules,” says Leora Stirrat, a unitsecretary at Blake Medical Centerin Bradenton.

Thirteen organized hospitalslater, the difference is stark. As aresult of their growth, membershave had more influence andflexibility than they had beforewhen negotiating with manage -ment, helping to empower themand make it easier to improve theirlives and working conditions.The first bargaining session on

April 5 began with a show of unity.Bargaining team memberswelcomed their employer bystanding up and saying in unison,“We Are 1199SEIU.” Then themembers introduced themselves bygiving their names, hospital and thenumber of years of experience inthe healthcare field. The first round of negotiations

resulted in two tentativeagreements and ground ruleswere agreed upon within hours.Consequently, bargaining teammembers walked away from theirfirst negotiation session motivatedand confident. “I think it made a difference to

have a room full of healthcarework ers showing their unity,’” saidNadine White, a Labor and DeliveryNurse at Plantation Hospital inPlantation. “I enjoy coming tonegotiations and I love hearing theother stories because a lot of us didnot know that we were all dealingwith the same issues. Now weknow we are standing together.We are not alone.”Through a commitment to

principles, relentless spirit andeffectiveness in negotiating withmanagement, members are scoringhistoric and impressive victories formembers that now includeexchanging 40 proposals andreaching 10 tentative agreementssince the first bargaining session. So how exactly have HCA

members been able to make suchprogress in such little time? Theanswer partially lies in theprinciples they employ whenbargaining with management:

1. One strategy. One team.One purpose.

2. Create strength inmembership.

3. Respect, inspire and supporteach other.

4. Support proposals withevidence based data collectedthrough information requests,research, and by members in theworksites.

5. Coordinate com mu nication(regular, cross facility and state,members’ surveys).

6. Build on our foundation —keep what works, upgrade whereneeded, and create what’s needed.

7.Make decisions as a team.8. Coordinate and share

information with National NursesUnion & SEIU Locals bargainingwith HCA affiliates in other states.The members stress that their

victory is a win for their patientsand communities.Bargaining team members,

many of whom voted for theirUnion just months ago, are findingtheir voices at the table. Duringnegotiations, members testify tomanagement to give first handaccounts about why the proposalsthey are submitting are important.

For example, when the teampresented a proposal on non-discrimination language thatincludes nation of origin, BannellysVelasquez, a CNA at CommunityHospital in Brooksville said:“When I worked at a differentHCA-affiliated hospital, I wasclocked out for lunch and I wasspeaking to my mother on thephone in Spanish. A co-workertold me I was not allowed to speakSpanish. So, I went to HR and wastold once again I was not allowed,even though I was often asked totranslate for patients.”Not only are members finding

their voices in negotiations, theyare taking part, many for the firsttime, in the political process. OnApril 7, hundreds of 1199SEIUFlorida members traveled toTallahassee to participate in astatewide mobilization to call forthe termination of Gov. Rick Scott.The 500 “Pink Slip Rick”

protestors converged inside thecapitol rotunda to deliver pinkslips to the Governor’s office whilesinging “This Land is Your Land,”and chanting “Where are thejobs?” “Pink Slip Rick!” and“This is what democracy lookslike!”The bargaining process is

opening more than doorsfor future healthcare workers,it is opening minds. Oak Hill cookJeanne Taylor sums it up whenshe says, “It makes me feel likeI have a voice in my own future.I love it.”

PEOPLE

Music Runs In the FamilySinger-songwriter Mario Roseboroughworks at Baltimore’s Sinai Hospital.

Mario Roseborough

“I come from a big family of musicians,” saysMario Roseborough, a materials specialist technicianat Baltimore’s Sinai Hospital. “Both of my parents playinstruments and my father is a member of Unique –they sing a lot of ‘70s soul music and do a lot of showswith groups like the Whispers and the Stylistics.My cousin is a music teacher at the Baltimore Schoolof the Arts.”

So it’s no surprise that Roseborough, now 23, tookup the family profession at the tender age of 16 andbegan performing with a group of his own.

“Singing to me was just something I thoughteveryone did because I grew up in such a musicalhousehold,” he says.

Today Roseborough is a solo performer as well as asongwriter who composes for other artists. His work isinspired by real-life experiences, he says, and hestrives for authentic connection with his audience.

“A lot of times it’s the feeling behind the music,”he says. “It’s one thing to be able to sing a song andanother to be able to put feeling into it. When anindividual hears my music and tells me they like it, itgives me inspiration to continue to write more.” But performing is Roseborough’s true love.

“I just love the reaction of the crowd and theenergy,” he says. “One thing about Baltimore is thatyou have to be good because if you’re not they will letyou know. If you bring them a certain level of energythey will give it back to you.”

Roseborough is in the process of making his firstvideo for his single “Overwhelmed,” as well as puttingthe finishing touches on his first CD of original music,which is due out this summer. The album will beavailable on iTunes.

JAY MALLEN PHOTO


Joe Macagnone has been an 1199SEIU delegatefor just a few months, but he’s been a labor leaderfor much of his adult life. Before landing a job threeyears ago as a mental health assistant at ColumbiaMemorial Hospital (CMH) in Hudson, NY,

Macagnone was a member of the Teamsters Union forsome 20 years.“I was a shop steward as a Teamster, too, and I learned

a lot there, but that was a different time in my life andI’ve left that behind,” he says. Because of his leadershipqualities, he was urged to become a delegate by his ColumbiaMemorial co-workers.

It paid off in May when members at CMH negotiateda five-year contract after an almost five-month struggle.Macagnone was one of the leaders of the negotiatingcommittee and one of its most outspoken members.Says 1199SEIU VP Rosa Lomuscio: “Joe is a leader in

every sense of the word. As a member of the Union’sbargaining team during a very difficult struggle, Joe notonly relayed the details of negotiations to the membership,but he listened carefully to what they had to say andbrought their concerns to the table. His dedication andcommitment to his patients, his community and his Unionis outstanding.”On June 4, Macagnone was scheduled to be among the

CMH members accepting the Distinguished Service Awardby the Columbia County Democratic Committee. The awardwas to be presented to the caregivers “in recognition of theirstellar work in the community and their fight for unionmembers everywhere.”Macagnone thinks the award is significant. “With our

families, we make important contributions to the region,” hesays. “I’m proud of our work and I’m proud to be a memberof 1199SEIU.”

When Carlita Martinez became a Personal CareAttendant (PCA) in 2008 she recognizedthat there was still a void in her work life.“I wasn’t a member of a union,” she says.

“I had problems with my agency, but Ididn’t know how to correct it.”Martinez, who was born in San Pedro de Marcoris in the

Dominican Republic and had been a caregiver her entire life,had become a PCA in Methuen, MA, first to care for an ailingaunt and later, her father.“I was looking for a union and I found 1199SEIU through

another PCA, Vincente de la Rosa from Lawrence.” Thatmeeting changed Martinez’s life. She not only joined1199SEIU, but she immediately became one of the mostactive, enthusiastic builders of the Union and a strongadvocate for PCAs.“In my town when I was growing up, everyone knew that

workers had no rights without unions,” she says. “And thatthought has stayed with me.”Martinez has canvassed other PCAs to join the Union and

has immersed herself in political activities. She has lobbiedlegislators and appeared in the media on behalf of PCAfunding and legislation.“Carlita Martinez is a model delegate,” says 1199SEIU VP

Rebecca Gutman. “She takes a leadership role in building theUnion and her community. Her PAC sign-up rate in terms ofnumbers and amount contributed surpasses many in ourUnion. Carlita understands and educates other PCAs aboutthe connection between our lives at work, our lives at home,and the importance of being politically active.”“We PCAs need a lot of things like better benefits and

higher salaries,” Martinez says. “We always want to do morefor our clients, too. To do that, we need to build strength andthat means building our Union.”

“In my town when I was growingup, everyone knew that workers

had no rights without unions. Andthat thought has stayed with me.”

—PCA Carlita Martinez

Carlita Martinez is a Personal Care Attendant in Methuen, MA.

Joe Macagnone, a mental health assistant at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson, NY.

Since She Found the Union

DistinguishedService

OUR DELEGATE LEADERS


Contract VictoriesAcross Our RegionsHere’s a roundup of somerecently settled contracts fromaround our regions:

Members at ColumbiaMemorial Hospital in Hudson, NY,ratified a five-year agreementcovering 600 service, technical andprofessional workers May 19 afterseveral months of arduousnegotiations. Workers were able tomaintain most of what they had wonin past collective bargainingagreements. They protected theirpensions and most importantlypushed back one of the employer’smain goals — winning an open shopat Columbia.

Workers at Blossom NursingHome in Rochester, NY, over whelm -

ingly ratified a new, three-year agree -ment on April 5. The pact includesincreased pension contributions,wage increases of 4.5% andimproved job security language.

“Watching the news on the statebudget and so many people losingtheir jobs every day, I’m happy toknow we actually have job security,”says Michelle Payne, a BlossomCNA and negotiating committeemember.

At Palm Garden in Port St.Lucie, FL, on April 29 workersratified a contract covering 84members. And at Palm Terrace inClewiston, FL, workers ratifiedtheir contract May 11. Theagreement covers a bargaining unitof 96 members.

At the Weinberg Campus inGetzville, NY, near Buffalo, 300members ratified a new three-yearpact May 18. And in Syracuse, NY,

May 19 workers at Crouse HospitalandCommunity General Hospitalratified new contracts. The Crouseagreement covers some 2,000workers. At Community General atpress time, workers were in astruggle to protect their benefits andpensions during a takeover bid bySUNY Upstate Medical Center.(For more on this, see story below.)

At Maryland’sDimensionsHealth Systems— which includesPrince Georges Hospital Center,Laurel Regional Hospital, the BowieHealth Campus and the GladysSpellman and Larkin ChaseRehabilitation Centers — workerssettled two new agreements March30. One covers 613 registerednurses and the other covers 634service, maintenance and technicalworkers. The contracts providewage increases for the first timesince 2008. Registered nurses won

staffing ratios. And service,maintenance and technical workerswill for the first time be coveredunder the 1199SEIU Training andUpgrading Fund. Dimensions is afinancially stressed institution whichhas been working on becomingstable and getting funding fromPrince Georges County and thestate of Maryland.

Negotiating committee memberImogene Hall, an environmentalservice worker at Prince GeorgesHospital Center for 41 years, saysthe agreement was good for thewhole institution: “When we have agood, strong contract it really helpseverybody,” she says. “It’s good forour patients because if we don’thave our rights, how can we possiblytake care of them?”

Workers at Summit ParkNursing Home in Catonsville, MD,settled a new contract May 11.

Hundreds Rally inSyracuse forCommunity GeneralSome 500 members and theirsupporters gathered in downtownSyracuse’s Forman Park May 5 in ashow of solidarity with 900Community General Hospitalworkers whose pensions andbenefits are at risk if their institutionis taken over by SUNY UpstateMedical University.

SUNY Upstate has proposedpurchasing Community General.The move would make 1199SEIU-represented workers publicemployees, which would seriouslyaffect their accrued seniority,vacation, pension and otherbenefits.

“Their original plan said theycould ill-afford to bring us all onwith the seniority and all thebenefits that we had,” saysCommunity General dietary workerDwayne Stafford, a negotiatingcommittee member. “It was a slap inthe face to people who had devotedtheir lives to this place.”

SUNY Upstate initially hadCommunity General workersstarting from scratch — meaningworkers with as many as 45 years ofservice would lose everything they’daccrued. The administration hassince revised that, but even underthe new plan, workers still lose a lot,says Stafford.

Representatives from numerouscommunity and faith-based organ i -zations joined the rally as well ascontingents from several other laborunions, including the United Fed era -

tion of Teachers and the New YorkState Public Employees Federation.

“It meant a lot to me and gaveme a lot of pride. Before then,people were pessimistic, but whenwe got out there and heard thepeople in the community talkingabout our hospital it gave usenergy,” says Stafford.

1199SEIU Pres. GeorgeGresham vowed to holdaccountable all employers whowould blatantly disregard theirresponsibilities to workers.

“The rich continue to feed offthe needs of working people,” saidGresham at the rally. “We are nolonger here to settle for the crumbswhen we are the ones making thebread.”

At press time CommunityGeneral’s plan of sale was beforeNYS Dept. of Health officials.

Around the Union�Contracts �Syracuse Rally �May Day

Thousands marched on May Dayin New York City, calling forimmigration reform, jobcreation and economic justice.

New Yorkers MarchOn May DayA large contingent of 1199erswas among the tens of thousandswho marched in New York City onMay Day to demand economicjustice, the creation of good jobs,the fair treatment of immigrants,and an end to the right-wing’s effortto crush organized labor.

“I thought I’d be retired bynow, but I’m worried,” saidmarcher Elise Rackmill, a socialworker at Manhattan’s St. Luke’sHospital. “I’m worried for my kidsand my grandchildren. Even with acollege education there’s noguaranteed future for them, no jobsecurity. It’s just a terrible situation.”

The march and rally, whichbegan at Manhattan’s Union Squareand ended in Foley Square, were co-sponsored by the May 1st andLabor Rights, Immigrant Rights andJobs For All Coalitions. They drewlarge contingents from labor unions,faith-based organizations andcommunity, progressive andcultural groups.

Numerous union rank-and-filers, immigrant rights advocates,and labor union officials spoke atthe Foley Square rally, includingSEIU Sec. Treas. Eliseo Medina and1199SEIU Sec. Treas. MariaCastaneda.

Medina told those at the rallythat they must stay in the fight forjustice for immigrants and allworking people.

“Our Union is here today tostand with all other unions andcommunity groups,” saidCastaneda. “We cannot allowourselves to be scapegoated in thiseconomic crisis.”

THE BACK PAGE

1199SEIU CelebratedNational Nurses Month in MayThis month’s “Work We Do” features RNsat Orange Regional Medical Center inMiddletown, NY. Here float nurse MichelleDymond holds Vivienne Louise Sharp,who was born at the hospital May 13.See pages 6 and 7.

To read more about1199SEIU’s organizing

and contract victories anddevelopments throughout

all regions of our Union, log onto www.1199seiu.org

Our Life & Times

Documents

seiu members

atnew york health fairs

nursinghome members

wellbeing of members

new york region

good health

collective health

health ofmembers