https://iclfi.org/pubs/wv/1188/seiu
15 December 2025
Dear Workers Vanguard,
Thank you for your interest in the recent work of Hospital Workers Building Union Power (HWBUP). A lot of 1199 members are upset with the way the union is run, as the leadership is always ready to do the bidding of management. A prime example of this was the firing of 18 EMS workers at Lenox Hill Hospital. We fought to prevent the firings and build opposition to the leadership, which didn’t want to do anything.
We sought to show that by fighting, we can make the union do what it is meant to do—fight against the attacks on the workers. Our leaflets aimed to give direction to the deep anger at the union leadership. We distributed hundreds of leaflets in less than two weeks. The leadership refused to budge—they didn’t even mobilize workers for a picket on November 3—and the EMS workers were fired four days later. The key lesson from this outrage is that the 1199 leadership needs to be replaced by hospital workers who want to fight for our class against the bosses. We want to draw these workers into the committee. We welcome you reprinting our leaflets to shine a spotlight on this work and want other working-class organizations to do likewise. Check us out at linktr.ee/hwbup_nyc.
In struggle,
Edie G. for HWBUP
An attack on EMS is an ATTACK ON US ALL
SEIU: WHERE ARE YOU?
October 30
The attack on EMS cannot be taken lying down. The fight to defend jobs and services is going to take the united action of all workers. That includes those within the walls of Lenox Hill Hospital. But many workers on the inside don’t even know that their coworkers’ jobs on the outside are on the chopping block—or that a picket to defend those jobs is planned for Nov. 3. The question is: Where is the 1199 leadership and what is the plan to defend these workers and build the picket?
The 1199 leadership’s current plan of keeping things vague and workers out of the loop is a losing strategy. And the resulting loss of jobs and trucks will have a huge ripple effect throughout the city, its working class and healthcare. Workers on the inside must start asking their delegates how the ranks can build the pickets for Nov. 3 and demand a real plan that will ensure there are no job and truck losses. The Northwell bosses are looking for any opportunity to break the union. Workers uniting and successfully stopping the firing of EMTs would put all Lenox Hill workers in a better position to defend themselves and strengthen the union.
Everyone out to the Nov. 3 picket!
An attack on EMS is an ATTACK ON US ALL
SEIU: What We Should Do
November 1
The 1199 leadership has finally called on workers to come out to the rally and defend EMS. EMS needs any and all support but what we really need are strong pickets that will defend services, jobs and trucks. A big crowd and strong defense will show union power and give workers the confidence they need to build for more, larger and stronger pickets. It also shows that workers and the community will not just eat this attack. If the picket doesn’t have the numbers it needs, it will end up a bust. This will just demoralize workers and show the weakness of the union to the Northwell bosses, giving them the green light to stomp not only on EMS but all workers.
Workers are already on edge because of the worsening conditions. The firing of EMS is only telling them that the situation will get worse before it gets better. But how do things get better for workers? Or at least how do workers maintain what they have now? The 1199 leadership needs to push back against the attacks on workers. That means mobilizing the ranks when the Northwell bosses try to squeeze the workforce to maximize their profits. The union rally is the perfect place to do that. So while it’s necessary for the leadership to call on the membership to come out, a lot more should’ve been done.
The point of this rally being as big as possible is to defend EMS but also to spark a broader fight against all the attacks happening within Lenox Hill Hospital. Workers inside are being ground down by short-staffing, stagnant wages and a management looking for any opportunity to punish the workforce. But the 1199 leadership is doing all it can to contain the fight for EMS to one five-hour picket. They inform workers at the last minute to come out because they know organizing workers to actually win means going against the bosses and their profits. They can’t do this while telling workers there can be partnership between them and the Northwell administration. So, to the 1199 leadership, what’s it going to be? A real fight to defend against the attacks on EMS or to let workers continue to be on the losing end of a partnership only meant to keep the bosses on top?
Fight for every job! Dump the no-strike clause and the partnership strategy! Build the unions—Organize the unorganized! We can only rely on our own strength!
Everyone out to the Nov. 3 picket!
EMS Left Out To Dry, Who’s Next?
November 13
On Friday, November 7th, Northwell Health successfully fired 18 EMS workers and cut 3 trucks. This is all part of a plan not only to maximize profits, but to crush 1199 as Northwell wants to become a union-free healthcare system. Where was the 1199 leadership? Almost nowhere to be found. When they did pop their heads out of the backrooms that they make deals with management in, it was to call for a picket they purposely did little to build for.
The November 3rd picket should’ve been organized as a real defense of targeted EMS workers. That means calling on the community and Lenox Hill workers to come out and demand no cuts to services or jobs. Instead, the picket became a cheap performance by the bureaucracy, acting as if they were doing something to defend EMS. Make no mistake, the loss in jobs and trucks is the fault of the 1199 leadership that did everything they could to clamp down on any true intention to fight back against the cuts. This anti-union betrayal by the 1199 leadership has given the Northwell bosses the green light to continue their attacks on workers and services. Let it be clear to all workers: 18 EMS workers losing their jobs is a defeat and an attack on the entire workforce. And all workers must brace themselves for what’s in store next as the union bureaucracy continues to make deals with management that screws us over and puts the union as a whole in danger.
But there is a way to stop or at least lessen the damage from the attacks that are on the way. The way to start is by replacing the current leadership with people who actually want to fight for workers and defend the union. Time and time again the current leadership has given members excuse after pathetic excuse as to why they should eat a certain punishment or attack. Anyone reading this now probably has a story proving this statement true. What’s also true is that the union leadership forcing workers to eat abuse has eroded the confidence of 1199 members that the union can be a force for defense. It’s critical now more than ever to regain that confidence and rebuild the union to what it should be—a tool for workers defense. But this isn’t what the current union tops are fighting for. They’re too busy fooling workers into thinking that they have a common interest with the bosses. This garbage is only weakening the union and making workers into victims. The 18 EMS workers fired last Friday is the clearest example of that.
There needs to be a fight to reinstate these EMS workers. But if the 1199 leadership isn’t willing to defend jobs and trucks, how could they fight to get them back? Enough is really enough! To the 1199 workforce: take back your union and put in leaders who will fight! Get EMS workers back to their jobs!
