FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE: May 19, 2025 | CONTACT: Amelia Abromaitis | 484-363-9783

Butler Hospital Announces the Termination of Striking Workers' Health Insurance by May 31, 2025

19 May 2025

"This is incredibly disappointing, and I am truly scared for my life." - Brooke Huminski

Providence - Today, Butler Hospital union workers received the following letter in the mail, notifying them that management is terminating the following benefits: medical, dental and vision (effective May 31, 2025) as well as life, long term disability, critical illness, accident insurance and voluntary legal insurance. This will affect the 800 workers in the bargaining unit of SEIU 1199NE.

Download the letter here.

Today I received a letter from Butler Hospital notifying us that they are terminating our health insurance on May 31. I rely heavily on that health insurance as I take a life-saving medication. Without that medication, I will not be alive. We are also in the process of going through IVF right now to build our family and will likely have to stop the IVF process without insurance. I never thought it would get to this place. I dedicated my career to this hospital and I am just so disappointed, hurt and scared for myself and for many others with severe health conditions who will not be able to afford the co-pay payments or the cost of medications. This is incredibly disappointing, and I am truly scared for my life.”

- Brooke Huminski, LICSW | Clinician/Social worker in the Inpatient Assessment Center

It is plainly obvious that cutting off workers' medical benefits with little to no notice is just the latest in management's illegal retaliation and intimidation against workers throughout the bargaining process. Care New England should be ashamed of this cruel and callous move to break the strike and prevent workers from making critically important changes in their workplace to improve safety and care."

- Jesse Martin, Executive Vice President, SEIU 1199NE

On May, May 12, the union filed unfair labor practices against the employer, identifying numerous categories of behavior by the hospital that are both unlawful and unacceptable to the union members, including 1) refusing to bargain in good faith 2) threatening, coercing and retaliating against workers for protected union activity 3) surveilling workers as they engage in union activity and 4) making unilateral changes to condition of employment after the contract expired.

Workers voted by over 91% to strike and began their open-ended strike on Thursday, May 15, 2025.

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District 1199 SEIU New England represents 29,000 health care and service workers in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Southeastern Massachusetts. In Rhode Island, 1199 SEIU NE represents almost 5,000 members. 1199 SEIU NE is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) – a union of over 2 million members across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. SEIU has been a national leader in pushing the growing Fight for $15 and a Union movement.