With 350,000 members in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Washington D.C., 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest growing healthcare union in the country. Its mission is to achieve affordable, high quality healthcare for all. 

In January 2010, 1199 SEIU donated $1 million to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF for earthquake relief and recovery efforts in Haiti.  The union is also organizing a special UNICEF fundraising drive among its membership as part of a broader collective effort to mobilize the community and offer resources to those affected by the crisis in Haiti.  In partnership with UNICEF, the union has also launched a special Haiti relief website at www.wecareforhaiti.org as well as a special toll free Haiti relief hotline number at 1-877-875-6561, to help provide crisis counseling and assistance to anyone affected by the tragedy.

"This tragedy has hit 1199 very close to home.  Our union has tens of thousands of members who are of Haitian descent in New York and Boston.  We are grateful that organizations like UNICEF are there on the ground, providing life-saving supplies, emergency personnel and equipment, as the number one priority right now is to prevent a second wave of disaster and begin the healing and rebuilding process in Haiti.”

- President of 1199 SEIU George Gresham