Hundreds of Butler Union Workers Sign Up for State Health Insurance by Date of Employer Termination
    Hundreds of Butler Union Workers Sign Up for State Health Insurance by Date of Employer Termination
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    FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE: May 31, 2025 | CONTACT: Amelia Abromaitis | 484-363-9783

    Hundreds of Butler Union Workers Sign Up for State Health Insurance by Date of Employer Termination

    31 May 2025

    "Butler tried to use our access to healthcare against us to end the strike, but it backfired."

    Providence - Today, on the deadline Butler Hospital gave workers to return to work or face the termination of their medical benefits, hundreds of striking Butler union workers have signed up for free or low-cost health benefits through HealthSource RI, the state's health insurance marketplace. Earlier this week, SEIU 1199NE organized to have a crisis team join striking Butler workers to show them the marketplace sign up process online and through individual one on one support.  

    Butler tried to use our access to healthcare against us to end the strike, but it backfired. Because of my current lack of income, I was able to enroll in free health insurance through Rhode Island’s health insurance marketplace. Ironically, many of us would have qualified for low cost coverage through the state exchange even before our strike, simply because our wages are so low.

    - Dan Adams, Mental Health Worker, Lippit 2, Intensive Treatment Unit

    On May 19, Butler Hospital union workers received the below letter in the mail, notifying them that management was terminating the following benefits: medical, dental and vision (effective May 31, 2025). Their life, long term disability, critical illness, accident insurance and voluntary legal insurance expired earlier in the month.
    Butler Hospital Insurance.png
    Download the letter here.
    In the latest meeting with federal mediator on May 29, Butler's union negotiating committee offered management a robust set of proposals but management declined to respond, saying they would not have an answer until next week, days after the workers' health coverage expired.

    After more than 11 hours of mediation, management informed us they would not be able to respond to our contract proposals until some time next week—fully aware that our healthcare coverage ended on May 31. It’s crystal clear management is using our access to healthcare as a weapon to break our resolve. We remain committed to the negotiating process, but Care New England needs to stop playing games and invest in workers without demanding unnecessary and devastating concessions.

    - Dan Camp, Behavioral Health Call Intake Center

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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.