Members of the union 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East who work at Optum and Summit Health facilities in the Hudson Valley staged a rally in Middletown in Orange County that was attended by some local officials. They expressed concern about the consolidation of health care in the region under expanding corporate ownership. They also advocated for livable wages for workers, affordable health care for consumers, and quality patient care.
The August 9 rally was staged outside of the Optum’s Crystal Run medical center location at 300 Crystal Run Rd., in Middletown, one of several Optum Crystal Run locations in the Hudson Valley. The union has charged that Optum and its parent company UnitedHealth were not negotiating with the union in good faith. Some workers at Summit Health, which has acquired a number of local medical service providers including Westmed in Westchester and Fairfield voted to join the union.
Among those attended the rally were: State Assembly Members Paula Kay, Jonathan Jacobson, and Chris Eachus; Orange County Legislator Genesis Ramos; and Democratic Nominee for Orange County Executive Michael Sussman.
More than 1,100 workers at Optum Crystal Run this year voted to join 1199SEIU. Optum filed objections with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) but the NLRB certified the election results.
“Summit Health and Optum have a responsibility to our communities – not just shareholders or investors,” Dolores Lestor, a medical assistant at a Summit breast cancer practice, said during the rally. “We’re here today to say, enough! We are united, we are standing up for our patients, and we are fighting for the respect, pay, and working conditions we deserve.”
Vincent Mazzella, a medical assistant at Optum Crystal Run, called for better compensation for workers.
“Optum pulled in $253 billion in revenue in 2024,” Mazzella said. “That’s billions from prescriptions, analytics, and clinics like mine. It’s time to take corporate greed out of health care.”
A representative of Optum told the Business Journal, “Providing high-quality care to people across the Hudson Valley is our top priority, and we believe the best outcomes happen when our teams work together in a respectful, collaborative environment. We will continue to bargain in good faith and in full compliance with labor laws, and believe the charge lacks merit.”
1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East represents more 450,000 members throughout New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, and Washington, D.C.
