United Healthcare Workers 1199 Does Not Support Forced COVID Vaccination

by Michael Kane

1-23-21

Local 1199 is one of the largest and most powerful unions in New York State. Their members include health care workers such as nurses and home attendants. On December 12, 2020, Local 1199 released an official position statement on the COVID vaccine where they make clear they do not support mandating the vaccine to their members. You can read that statement at the following link:

https://www.1199seiu.org/media-center/1199seiu-position-statement-covid-19-vaccine

TEACHERS FOR CHOICE applauds 1199 in supporting the rights of their union members, who pay their salaries through union dues, to make medical decisions with their own doctors. This is precisely what we are asking the teachers’ unions in New York to do as well.

TEACHERS FOR CHOICE kindly requests that the UFT, AFT, NEA and NYSUT unions in New York release a similar statement to the one Local 1199 just released. If Health Care Workers have the right to choose to be vaccinated or not, Educators should most certainly be afforded that same right.