WHEREAS for many years, Locals 1199J and 1199C — part of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, AFSCME — have represented hospital and nursing home workers across the State of New Jersey; and

WHEREAS for the last two years, AFSCME has funded NUHHCE's efforts to organize New Jersey's home care workers, who labor under difficult conditions with low pay and meager health benefits; and

WHEREAS New Jersey's home care industry is very decentralized, with 25,000 workers employed by 250 private providers. These private providers have demonstrated fierce resistance to home care workers' efforts to organize to improve the conditions of work; and

WHEREAS the level of organization among New Jersey health care workers most notably between AFSCME and SEIU — provides a foothold to build greater power across the state; and

WHEREAS AFSCME and SEIU have begun discussions to create a merger of our two unions' health care membership in New Jersey, to bring greater focus and combined resources to our efforts.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that AFSCME's International Executive Board supports the effort to create greater power for New Jersey health care workers, by negotiating a workable arrangement with the SEIU to create a combined health care union to be known as 1199 New Jersey United.