Happy New Year! From your friends at LIJWJ, we hope you had a happy, healthy, and restorative holiday season. Not least of all because 2025 is bound to hold many struggles, challenges, and calls to action from the LI workers’ movement. We’ll start our inaugural 2025 email with one of those calls!
Rallies to Protect Medicaid with 1199 SEIU!
The incoming presidential administration and its allies in congress are poised to continue assaulting what little social supports remain in the US. This includes funding for Medicaid, most of which is provided to states by the federal government. In New York, Medicaid provides healthcare access for about 7 million people (35% of NY’s 19.5 million people). This means if the federal government guts Medicaid over a third of New Yorkers will lose their coverage.
To show our local federal representatives that our communities support Medicaid, and are in dire need of any healthcare access available, 1199 SEIU is hosting two LI rallies tomorrow in Hauppauge and Patchogue.
If you are able please help start 2025 out strong and join 1199 in sending a strong message from the people of LI! Please let them know you’ll be there here!
2024 Holiday Season Recap
Since we last checked in there were a series of local labor actions that appropriately closed out 2024 as a year of solidarity on LI.
Starbucks
From Starbucks Workers United:
“Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol makes more in an HOUR than most baristas make in a YEAR. Its insulting that not only are annual raises lower this year than in previous years, but Starbucks offered our union NO immediate wages during contract bargaining. It’s unacceptable – we need fair wages, fair scheduling, and accessible benefits!
Union baristas went on the biggest Starbucks ULP strike in history from Dec. 20-24 – and until Starbucks bargains a fair contract with us, this is just the beginning.”
98% of unionized Starbucks workers voted for this strike in an inspiring show of determination and solidarity with one another. LI showed its solidarity too with community supporters and LIJWJ’s own Diane Cantave joining workers on the picket line in the frigid December weather.
To show your support on your phone or computer right now head here to sign the No Contract, No Coffee Pledge! And follow Starbucks Workers United on social media to get the latest updates direct from the source!
NYSNA
NYSNA nurses were joined by LIJWJ on a cold and rainy December 9 to tell Mt. Sinai South Nassau’s management to deliver a fair contract that respects nurses and patients!
From NYSNA: “Nurses at Mount Sinai South Nassau always put quality care for Long Island patients first. That’s why they’re working toward a fair union contract that guarantees there are always enough experienced nurses at the bedside.
Management at Mount Sinai South Nassau has been pushing back on the nurses’ proposals every step of the way and claims they can’t “Find a Way” to deliver a fair contract on Long Island. Meanwhile, nurses at the hospital are stretched thin and concerned that patient care will suffer. NYSNA nurses have been fighting for almost a year to win a fair union contract that puts patients first.
Show your support for our local community nurses. Sign the petition to tell Mount Sinai executives to “Find a Way” to deliver a fair contract that respects nurses and patients!”
32BJ
From 32BJ: “Custodians working at Molloy University [went] on strike to protest Molloy’s failure to provide any additional dates for contract negotiations, despite repeated requests by the Union for additional dates. The last bargaining session took place before Thanksgiving.
In the past, the Union and Molloy University have always been able to reach fair Union agreements without a strike.
After a period of record inflation and with the high cost of living on Long Island, the Union’s priority in bargaining has been to raise wages and protect health and retirement benefits. Molloy currently pays significantly less than other nearby universities.”
Since the strike on December 10th Molloy has met with 32BJ to bargain, but remains stubborn on issues like wage increases. Given that, there is still an open call to action for community supporters to call the university administration at 516-323-3200 and tell them that Molloy custodians deserve fair wages and that one job should be enough!
Until next time, thank you for your support of LIJWJ and solidarity with our local workers.
Long Island Jobs with Justice 