Around the Union: Executive Council Approves Merger With SEIU Healthcare Florida

If approved by members, the new Region will be a major victory in a Right to Work State.

Members of SEIU Healthcare Florida, who at press time are voting on a merger with 1199SEIU.

The 1199SEIU Executive Council voted unanimously on April 23 to approve a merger with SEIU Healthcare Florida, the 15,000-member SEIU local that represents workers at 75 hospitals and 10 nursing homes throughout southern Florida.

The merger is scheduled to take effect on July 20 of this year. It’s subject to approval by a secret ballot vote by Florida members. If approved, the merger will create the 1199SEIU Florida Region. It will be headed by Monica Russo, who will serve as Exec. V.P. / Regional Director. The Region will have an executive board and members will be represented on the 1199SEIU Executive Council.

1199SEIU members already have a close relationship with Florida Healthcare members. Many 1199ers have volunteered to participate in Florida organizing drives and others have spent time in Florida as 1199SEIU heroes working on presidential election campaigns. Many members also move and retire to Florida.

“With more resources more healthcare workers will be able to join our Union, and together we can win better benefits, like a pension.”
                                                                        - Eduardo Eguino
                                                                           Miami’s Kendall Regional
                                                                           Medical Center

SEIU Healthcare Florida VP Stella Williams spoke to the 1199SEIU Exec. Council meeting in New York City on April 23. Williams started her career with District 1115 some 27 years ago and knows firsthand how union membership can change workers’ conditions.

“Florida is a right to work state; There’s a joke that it’s a right to work like a dog state and change nothing,” she said. “My co-workers and I were able to get health care paid for by our employer and a defined pension. Those things were unheard of in Florida.”

The merger is also an opportunity for the Union to build strength in Florida’s panhandle, where there is virtually no density.

“I’m voting yes because it’s time to expand our reach to more hospitals in Florida,” said Eduardo Eguino from Miami’s Kendall Regional Medical Center. “With more resources more healthcare workers will be able to join our Union, and together we can win better benefits, like a pension.”

Ana Macias, an RN at North Shore Medical Center in Miami, said the move is not just a benefit for Florida workers.

“Joining 1199SEIU is just the first step for us to become an even more powerful force,” said Macias. “I’m voting yes because I want to be part of a union that has national recognition so that all workers around the country can have a stronger voice.”