Upstate New York Hospital Workers Vote to Join CWA Local 1126

After years of effort, 730 support workers at Faxton St. Luke's Healthcare in Utica, NY, have voted to have a voice in their work destiny by joining CWA Local 1126. The vote in the election was 309-210.

Workers at Faxton St. Luke's Health Care celebrate their CWA win.

"By organizing with my co-workers to have a successful and strong vote to join CWA, I feel like we've begun the work necessary to bring us real power and a real voice in our workplace," Beth Dowd, a unit secretary in Maternity Services at the hospital, told the Utica Observer-Dispatch.

Local 1168, which represents health care workers in upstate New York, has been working with members and leaders of this bargaining unit for more than 15 years; two previous attempts by workers to organize fell short. A key to this effort was a partnership between more than 50 committee members at the hospital and over two dozen Local 1126 member activists who helped with assessments, card signing, and get out the vote.

Faxton St. Luke's support workers were particularly motivated by unilateral changes being pushed upon them as part of the hospital's recent merger with St. Elizabeth's Hospital. They have seen benefits whittled away and positions eliminated without having any say in the matter. The more than 800 workers already represented by CWA at the Faxton St. Luke's Hospital have a structure in place to deal with workplace issues and they could bargain with the hospital on a contract.

Local 1126 organizers Karen Marrotta, Maryanne Reardon, Sue Fobare and Fred Thur worked tirelessly on this effort for almost two years, building the support needed, along with Special Assignment Organizer Dave Thomas and District Organizing Coordinator Anne Luck-Deak. In the final stages of GOTV, Local 1168 organizers Ann Converso and Patrick Weisansal, along with Organizer Jonathan Poindexter and Special Assignment Organizer Fareeda Mabry, joined the team as well. The entire leadership team of the Local, starting with Local 1126 President Frank Murphy, remained committed to organizing this workgroup through many ups and downs and is a shining example of what it means to demonstrate solidarity "one day longer, each day stronger."