The Heart of Maryland-DC

04/12/2016

We Care For DC

DC Home Health Aide, Tiffany Hunter on why it's important for workers to show up on April 14 day of action.

01/27/2016

Did you brave or other past storms to care for your patients? Post your stories and photos using .

08/19/2015

We Care For DC

Paper applications are now available for recertification. This option also allows you to pay with a check or money order. Read more at the website: http://theheartofmaryland-dc.org/2015/08/19/expanded-recertification-options-for-dc-home-health-aides/

06/19/2015

The Heart of Maryland-DC's cover photo

06/19/2015

The Heart of Maryland-DC

05/04/2015

The nurses, caregivers and staff of the Maryland-DC Region of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East commend State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and the Baltimore area community for vigilance in seeking justice for Freddie Gray, who died from injuries inflicted while in police custody.

While our justice system rightly determines that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, the charges issued today against six officers of the Baltimore Police Department, illustrate that no one, including any police officer, is above the law.

Freddie Gray’s death has sparked two weeks of protest in Baltimore and around the country by those of us who are calling for justice in this case and in too many similar cases of baseless arrest, harassment, brutality and even death at the hands of police.

“We believe the way forward is through organizing and non-violent protest with our sisters and brothers in the social justice movement,” said Lisa Brown, executive vice president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, Maryland-DC Region. “We not only need to ensure police accountability, but also we must address economic inequality and the root causes of young people’s anger and despair. We cannot progress as a nation until every community has education and recreational opportunities, affordable housing, civil rights, economic security and good jobs with a living wage.”

We support and look forward to working with organizations and concerned citizens in coalition to address these social justice issues going forward, for the sake of Baltimore, all of Maryland and our communities nationwide.

1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in Maryland and the nation. We represent 400,000 members throughout Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Florida, with nearly 7,000 members in Baltimore. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.
http://www.1199seiu.org/the_nation_s_largest_healthcare_workers_union_commends_state_s_attorney_marilyn_mosby#sthash.wzXItxt9.8GRgCFqT.dpbs

04/30/2015

Justice for Freddie Gray!

07/18/2014

Here's to all nurses and caregivers...

07/08/2014

Hopkins Caregivers Reach Tentative Agreement
With Hospital to Substantially Boost Wage Rates

- Contract includes raises as high as 38% for low-paid workers, a boost of as much as $4.30 an hour over the life of the contract

- Agreement immediately establishes $15-an-hour minimum wage for workers with 20+ years, and a $14.50/hour minimum in 2015 for workers with 15+ years

- Raises at Hopkins, Baltimore’s largest healthcare employer, will set a higher standard for workers all across the city

- Union members at Hopkins will hold ratification vote Thursday and Friday, July 10 and 11

BALTIMORE — Early Tuesday morning, 2,000 caregivers at Johns Hopkins Hospital reached a tentative agreement with management on a new contract. The four-and-a-half year agreement would dramatically improve pay for low-wage workers at Hopkins.

Low-paid employees at Hopkins would receive raises as high as 38 percent over the life of the contract. The Hopkins workers — members of Eleven Ninety-Nine S.E.I.U. — also won a $15-an-hour minimum wage that will apply immediately to workers with 20 years of service. Workers with 15 years of service will make at least $14.50 in 2015.

“This is an important victory for patients and workers all across Baltimore,” said John Reid, executive vice president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East for the Maryland/DC region. “Johns Hopkins Hospital sets the standard for healthcare in our city and that standard has just been raised.”

Highlights of the agreement include:

• Total raises as high as 38 percent for long-time, low-paid Hopkins workers, a boost of as much as $4.30 an hour over the life of the contract.

• A $14.50 minimum wage in 2015 for workers with 15 years’ experience, whose pay will rise to over $15 an hour in 2017. Current workers will make at least $13/hour by 2018.

• Across-the-board raises of at least 2% every year, with a 2% raise and a 0.5% bonus in the first year of the contract, and a 2.75% raise in 2017.

• An agreement to establish a committee to review market rates for surgical techs, pharmacy techs and other workers whose pay is under market.

The tentative agreement represents a significant improvement over what Hopkins management had called its last, best and final wage offer in early April. Hopkins workers mounted an intense contract campaign once bargaining began on March 4.

The Hopkins caregivers held a three-day strike in April, a mass rally in the Inner Harbor in May, and scheduled a four-day strike in late June. The second strike was called off after Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley intervened on the eve of the walkout and asked both parties to agree to a one-week cooling-off period.

The parties held two more bargaining sessions after O’Malley’s request, and reached the tentative agreement at roughly 2 a.m. on Tuesday. Hopkins members will hold a contract ratification vote on Thursday and Friday, July 10 and 11.

With over 400,000 caregivers, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. Almost 10,000 caregivers in Maryland and D.C. are united in 1199SEIU. Together, they work to ensure quality care and good jobs for all.

05/12/2014

Hopkins Service Workers Rallying For Better Pay Bring Star Power To Baltimore - CBS Baltimore

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/05/10/hopkins-service-workers-rallying-for-better-pay-bring-star-power-to-baltimore/

The battle heats up between 2,000 service workers and administrators at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Some union workers say they're living in poverty while the hospital makes millions.

05/12/2014

Hopkins workers rally for higher pay

YOU ON ABC 2! Another story about the massive Mothers' March & Rally for Justice at Johns Hopkins on Saturday.

http://www.abc2news.com/news/region/baltimore-city/hopkins-workers-rally-for-higher-pay

Johns Hopkins workers continue to make their case for higher pay.

05/05/2014

Gov. O’Malley Signs Bill for Equal Labor Protections at UMMC ...

A new law provides caregivers at the University of Maryland Medical Center the same labor protections enjoyed by workers at every other UMMS hospital in the state and by the vast majority of workers in the U.S. Maryland’s largest healthcare union says that fair work conditions support quality care for patients. http://ummscodered.org/

03/19/2014

MD LEGISLATORS APPROVE LABOR PROTECTIONS FOR UMMC WORKERS
Both the Maryland State House of Delegates and Senate voted on Friday in favor of new legislation that will provide equal labor protections to 5,000 workers at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. http://ummscodered.org/

02/25/2014

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela both shared the deep conviction that civil rights and economic justice go hand in hand. Mandela declared that “poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.” And King urged a “radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a ‘thing-oriented’ society to a ‘person-oriented’ society.”

12/12/2013

To celebrate the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela, 1199SEIU placed this ad in New York City newspapers, featuring a photo of Mandela taken by union photographer Jim Tynan. The caption reads: “The healthcare workers of 1199SEIU celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela and draw inspiration from his legacy in our ongoing struggle for social justice, quality healthcare and good jobs for all."

12/12/2013

A recent decision by the Maryland attorney general supports labor protections for workers at UMMC in Baltimore, the flagship hospital of the statewide University of Maryland Medical System.
http://www.theheartofbaltimore.org/home-page/2013/12/12/state-attorney-general-decision-supports-labor-protections-f.html

11/15/2013

UMMS doesn't care for caregivers [Commentary]

It would take a full-time nurse’s aide or patient care tech more than 50 years to earn the $2.3 million that Mr. Chrencik took home last year. Between 2008 and 2012, when working families across our state were struggling, pay jumped 75 percent for the top four UMMS executives, who collectively received more than $21million during that time. And that’s not including perks like exclusive health club memberships, each worth thousands of dollars...

A patient-care technician for the University of Maryland Medical System must update his skills regularly to keep his job, but he hasn't seen an update in his salary. Another UMMS technician must work at least two jobs to have any money left after paying basic living expenses. And a third caregiver,…

08/30/2013

Baltimore marches on Washington [Pictures]

Baltimore Sun photographers were there as 1199SEIU members headed to the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom!

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/photos/bal-baltimore-march-on-washington-pictures-20130824,0,1414213.photogallery

Members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East traveled to Washington on Saturday to commemorate the March on Washington's 50th anniversary. Tens of thousands of people gathered at the event, as much a tribute to the generation of activists who fought for racial equality in the 1960s as an ackno...

08/30/2013

Crowds head from Baltimore to D.C. for March anniversary

The Baltimore Sun was there as 1199SEIU members headed to the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom!

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-march-on-washington-20130824,0,4982840.story#ixzz2d0NhPs7R

Willie Bellamy III arrived early Saturday and stood outside the 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers offices in West Baltimore with his mother and son, quietly waiting for the day to unfold.

08/30/2013

Dozens Make Trip From Baltimore To D.C. To Celebrate Dr. King’s Famous Speech - CBS Baltimore

CBS in Baltimore was there as 1199SEIU members headed to the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom!

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2013/08/24/dozens-make-trip-from-baltimore-to-d-c-to-celebrate-march-on-washington/

The events leading up to the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington kick off in our nation's capital.

08/30/2013

Thousands of 1199ers Go to DC to Mark 50th Anniversary of March on Washington

Just like 50 years ago, 1199 represented at the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom!
http://www.1199seiu.org/thousands_of_1199ers_go_to_dc_to_mark_50th_anniversary_of_march_on_washington

The National Mall in Washington, DC was alive on August 24 with reverence, remembrance, longing, and frustration as an estimated 100,000 people gathered there from around the nation to mark the 50th anniversary 1963’s historic March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered of his ic...

08/30/2013

UMMS Code Red

New Campaign Aims to Hold The University of Maryland Medical System Accountable to Patients, Caregivers and Taxpayers. http://ummscodered.org/

Former Maryland General Hospital to pay $750,000 to settle billing allegationsBy Sarah Gantz, Baltimore Business Journal5:36 p.m. EDT, August 12, 2013 The former Maryland General Hospital has agreed to pay $750,000 to settle allegations that it overbilled for cardiac testing services. The settlement...

08/30/2013

Concerned Healthcare Workers Reveal Risky Financial Scheme, $180 Million Debt at the University of Maryland Medical System

07/19/2013

A 95th Birthday Tribute To Madiba Nelson Mandela from 1199SEIU in Baltimore - Home - The Heart...

http://www.theheartofbaltimore.org/home-page/2013/7/18/a-95th-birthday-tribute-to-madiba-nelson-mandela-from-1199se-1.html

Photo Credit: (Festival Karsh Ottawa, Creative Commons) The nearly 10,000 members of the Maryland/...

07/18/2013

Paid Sick Days Before Paid Vacation - Room for Debate

Paid Sick Days Before Paid Vacation - Room for Debate

The real danger to productivity in the workplace is the fact that over 44 million American workers have a tough time taking a single sick day without losing their job. By George Gresham.

07/18/2013

Activists Drop Highway Banner to Support Raising Maryland’s Minimum Wage
http://www.theheartofbaltimore.org/

07/18/2013

On July 10th members of grassroots social justice organization Communities United unfurled a large banner above I-83 that read, “Raise Maryland’s Minimum Wage.” Communities United is part of the Raise Maryland coalition, which is working to pass statewide legislation to raise the minimum wage.

The banner drop, which lasted for 30 minutes at the start of rush hour, coincided with the release of a report by the Economic Policy Institute –an independent, nonprofit think tank- that shows that it is impossible for families living on minimum-wage jobs to make ends meet.
http://www.theheartofbaltimore.org/

06/17/2013

Maryland Healthcare Workers to Receive Training to Fill ACA Workforce Needs - Home - The Heart...

http://www.theheartofbaltimore.org/home-page/2013/6/17/maryland-healthcare-workers-to-receive-training-to-fill-aca.html

Linda Bock, a registered nurse, lobbied for additional state funding for training and other priori...

06/17/2013

Under a new state grant to the Maryland/DC 1199SEIU Training and Upgrading Fund, healthcare workers in Maryland will be trained to fill new jobs that are anticipated as the landmark Affordable Care Act is implemented.

06/17/2013

A report released by Raise Maryland shows that the Maryland General Assembly has heavily subsidized already prosperous businesses, while low-wage worker are left to fall even farther behind.
http://www.theheartofbaltimore.org/home-page/2013/6/17/new-report-urges-md-general-assembly-to-raise-the-states-min.html

05/24/2013

Solidarity with Baltimore's Security Guards - Home - The Heart of Baltimore

Members of 1199SEIU joined Baltimore City Councilman Nick Mosby, local clergy and community groups for a rally May 22 at the Inner Harbor to launch a new campaign for improved wages for the city’s 1,000 private security officers.

http://www.theheartofbaltimore.org/home-page/2013/5/24/solidarity-with-baltimores-security-guards.html

Travis Henson-Rollins, a security officer in Baltimore, told dozens gathered for a May 22 rally th...

05/24/2013

GBMC Workers Secure a Raise, Maintain Popular Healthcare and Training Benefits - Home - The...

GBMC Workers Secure a Raise, Maintain Popular Healthcare and Training Benefits. Management Take-Backs Taken Off the Table.

http://www.theheartofbaltimore.org/home-page/2013/5/16/gbmc-workers-secure-a-raise-maintain-popular-healthcare-and.html

Management Take-Backs Taken Off the Table Victorious GBMC caregivers and organizers at the rat...

04/11/2013

Maryland Legislators to Study Equal Labor Protections for UMMC Workers - Home - The Heart of Baltimo

ANNAPOLIS— The Maryland General Assembly adjourned on April 8 with an agreement to study new legislation that would provide equal labor protections to 5,000 workers at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

The proposed law, the Equality for Maryland Caregivers Act of 2013, solves a dilemma for UMMC workers, who are not covered by either federal or state labor boards. In Maryland, private hospitals fall under the National Labor Relations Board and public hospitals fall under the Maryland Labor Relations Act. The University of Maryland Medical Center is governed by neither.

“I am confident that this additional study by the legislature will help us to right this wrong,” said Sen. Victor R. Ramirez, D-Prince George’s, a sponsor of the bill. “There is no reason that UMMC workers should not enjoy the same labor protections enjoyed by workers at every other hospital in the state.”...
http://www.theheartofbaltimore.org/home-page/2013/4/11/maryland-legislators-to-study-equal-labor-protections-for-um.html

Mary L. Washington, D-Baltimore City, is a sponsor of the Equality for Maryland Caregivers Act of ...

04/02/2013

UMMC Caregivers Stand Up For Their Rights - Home - The Heart of Baltimore

Because of violations of their labor rights, University of Maryland Medical Center workers have stepped forward to provide testimony in support of the Equality for Maryland Caregivers Act. The legislation, which is being considered by the Maryland General Assembly, would grant caregivers at UMMC the same labor protections enjoyed by the vast majority of American workers and by workers at every other facility in the University of Maryland Medical System. Right now, UMMC is a quasi-private and quasi-public institution and is not subject to rules of either the National Labor Relations Board or the Maryland Labor Relations Act.

http://www.theheartofbaltimore.org/home-page/2013/3/15/ummc-caregivers-stand-up-for-their-rights.html

Francine Fields, a cytotechnologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center, says having a un...

04/02/2013

HEARD ON THE HILL: 1199ers Won't Let Medicare and Medicaid Go Over the Cliff - Home - The Heart of B

Dozens of purple clad 1199ers lobbied to protect Medicare and Medicaid as Congress searched for fiscal solutions. In meetings with members of Maryland’s congressional delegation, 1199ers spoke from the heart about how cuts to Medicaid and Medicare would affect the patients they serve...
http://www.theheartofbaltimore.org/home-page/2012/12/13/heard-on-the-hill-1199ers-wont-let-medicare-and-medicaid-go.html

1199MD/DC members meeting with U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes. If you paid a visit to Capitol Hill on ...