With 300,000 members in one thousand institutions in three states and the District of Columbia, 1199SEIU has hundreds of contracts with employers in every sector of the healthcare industry from hospitals to clinics, pharmacies to homecare agencies and nursing homes, plus several human service agencies. The current Rite Aid contract, a legally binding collective bargaining agreement, includes the best wages, benefits and workers’ rights of any drugstore chain in the country.
How did Rite Aid employees get all this? Thanks to the union, every 3-4 years we have a right to sit down with management and tell them what we need to improve our lives (with raises and cost of living increases, for instance). We also tell them what policies aren't working. This is our right as union members. 1199SEIU has a long history of being the most democratic union in the country. That means that the folks who bargain your contract are elected by you! It can even be you! "Joining the union is like giving yourself an instant raise and job security. Unlike non-union Rite Aid workers, you no longer have to pay for your health insurance and the 1199SEIU contract guarantees annual raises. With union protection you are no longer at the mercy of unfair managers. I have stayed at Rite Aid because of the union. I've gotten offers from other companies, but they couldn't match what I receive as an 1199SEIU member. The union has been really good for my family too. In addition to having enough paid time off to care for them and take then on vacation, my daughter received a college scholarship from 1199SEIU. I did not use the childcare or summer camp, but it was all available to me if I needed it." - Nancy Scumaci,
Rite Aid Shift Supervisor |
|
