AFSCME Health Care United is a national movement of people in the health care field who are coming together to form unions at their workplaces. Members of AFSCME Health Care United are winning improved standards in the workplace and better quality of care for our patients.
We are 300,000 members strong, including registered nurses, laboratory technicians, physicians, phlebotomists, physical and respiratory therapists, patient care technicians, environmental services and dietary workers, social workers, and more. AFSCME members work at Kaiser Permanente in California and Hawaii; NYC Health + Hospitals in New York; University of Minnesota Medical Center; Oregon Health and Sciences University; and hundreds of facilities in between.
We provide vital care to communities all over America and work in a variety of health care settings, including acute care and psychiatric hospitals, university medical services, urgent care clinics, skilled nursing facilities, public health departments, schools, EMS and more.
As part of a national union that is 1.4 million members strong, our voices are amplified when fighting for healthcare funding, access and resources.
Lynne Swarbrick, Senior Research Associate
"We have spent our careers pushing science forward, but too many of us have struggled to afford living in the city where we work. [Our] contract makes real progress toward fixing that.”
Adriene Speights, LPN
“Contract negations usually go smoothly for the employees at North Philadelphia Health System, but the only reason we have the benefits and wages we do is because we have a union.”
Beth Savercool, RN
“Being a part of a union is important to me because I feel supported in my advocacy for my patients. It's my belief that everyone deserves access to health care and we absolutely can provide that.”
Emile Jorgensen, Epidemiologist III
“We’ve negotiated strong protections against favoritism and unfair discipline that give us the freedom to defend scientific integrity – and the health of our community – without fear of retaliation. Having a voice at work helps us defend the health of our community.”
German Gil, Pharmacy Technician
“Being active in my union allows me to protect affordable health care for me and my family. So when my son is feeling sick, I don’t hesitate to rush him to the doctor. I know we’re covered. But I know it’s something that, united as a union, we’ve had to fight to keep and will continue to.”
Amber Musgrave
“I practice dental hygiene in a maximum-security correctional facility. My union has been the driving force in ensuring safety and health concerns are addressed and corrected. Without it, I question whether I would still be working here today.”
Matt Piskura, PT
“Being in a union has taken me out of my professional silo. As a physical therapist, I was in a very specific lane, but through this experience, I’ve connected with people from all kinds of roles and backgrounds.”
Walter Fulgham, PA
“We needed a union. It wasn’t just about advocating for me. It was about everyone who didn’t have the tools or voice to speak up.”
Elizabeth Hawkins, RN
“I’ve been a nurse for 40 years, 31 of those in the emergency department. As a nursing student, I had done clinicals at Fonana, was hired at Riverside, and worked per diem at a local community hospital to stay afloat in the transition to Kaiser.
Kelly Indish, RN
“In our union contract, we won staffing levels that can help reduce burnout among nurses and improve patient safety and outcomes. We would not have accomplished this without our collective power as a union.”
Latest News
Illinois hospital employees secure higher wages, stronger voice in first union contract
Workers at Minnesota’s largest public hospital win deal to protect patient care
Cleveland primary care providers are forming a union with AFSCME
A life of service that began when her grandma moved in
Who can join AFSCME Health Care United?
From nurses to maintenance staff, health care workers are coming together.