Who we are, where we came from, and how to reach us.
SEIU Healthcare 1199NE is New England’s largest health care workers union. We represent 32,000+ nurses, direct care workers, certified nursing assistants, cooks, case managers, therapists, physicians, maintenance workers, and home care workers across Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Our members show up every day to heal and care for New England — in hospitals, nursing homes, community health centers, group homes, and people’s own homes. Through collective action, we fight for the wages, benefits, and working conditions our members deserve, and for the policies that protect the patients and communities we serve.
1199NE is a proud affiliate of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of the largest and most powerful unions in North America.
If you are a member, the best way to learn more about 1199 is to get involved at your workplace.
District 1199 was established in 1932 by drugstore workers in New York City. From its earliest days the union stood for more than wages — members quickly mobilized to end drugstores’ discrimination against hiring Black pharmacists, accomplishing that goal within seven weeks of organizing.
“1199 is my favorite union.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.In 1968, the New England branch was established, bringing 1199’s organizing model and democratic values to Connecticut and Rhode Island. Over the decades, 1199NE members have built one of the most powerful health care worker unions in the region.
Through collective bargaining, our members have secured:
Today, our 32,000+ members include nurses, direct care workers, CNAs, cooks, case managers, therapists, physicians, maintenance staff, and home care workers — the full spectrum of people who make health care possible in Connecticut and Rhode Island.
1199NE’s elected officers help guide the union’s long-term direction and oversee its day-to-day operations. Working with the rank-and-file Executive Board, they help develop the union’s priorities, policies, campaigns, and budget.
1199NE members elect the union’s officers and elected organizers every three years.
Reach us at either of our regional offices. For member questions, organizing inquiries, or media requests, we’re here to help.
If you are looking for 1199 in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland/DC, or Florida, please click here. If you are looking for 1199 in Pennsylvania, please click here.
Rob Baril serves as the President of SEIU 1199NE, the largest healthcare workers’ union in the region, representing tens of thousands of caregivers across Connecticut and Rhode Island. Since taking office in 2019, Rob has led efforts to secure better wages, benefits, and working conditions for healthcare workers, while championing legislative reforms to advance healthcare equity, racial justice, and workers’ rights.
A lifelong advocate for social and economic justice, Rob draws inspiration from the words of Frederick Douglass, “Power concedes nothing without a demand,” and Martin Luther King Jr.’s belief that “love is the only cement” capable of holding a broken society together. His leadership combines a commitment to organizing with a vision for systemic change, fostering inclusive leadership development within the union and mobilizing members to become active voices for justice in their workplaces and communities.
Before becoming president, Rob served as the union’s Organizing Director for over a decade, successfully leading campaigns that brought more than 10,000 workers in nursing homes, group homes, and home care into the union. Earlier in his career, he worked as the lead organizer for Direct Action for Rights and Equality in Rhode Island, where he spearheaded campaigns addressing police brutality and co-founded the Rhode Island chapter of Jobs with Justice.
Today, Rob continues to advocate for racial and economic justice, including active support for Black Lives Matter and other grassroots movements, ensuring that 1199NE remains a leading voice for dignity and fairness in the healthcare sector.