AFSCME members stand in solidarity with Geisinger nurses
AFSCME members were proud to show their solidarity by joining striking SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania members on the picket line in Wilkes-Barre.
AFSCME Local 2605 member Jessica Quijano’s daughter Madison is one of the more than 800 nurses on strike for a fair contract that values, recruits, and retains nurses to ensure the highest quality patient care.
“I’m so proud of her and everybody out here trying to get what’s fair. This is her future, and that’s why I’m here to support her. She worked hard to get where she’s at, and they deserve it,” Jessica said.
Pictured left to right: SEIU Healthcare PA Nurse Madison Quijano, Madison’s mom AFSCME Local 2605 member Jessica Quijano, and Jessica’s fiancé AFSCME Local 2147 member Robert Neveroski, on the picket line as 800 Geisinger nurses are on strike!
Jessica and Madison are from a union family. Jessica’s mother was a member of United Auto Workers, she is a 23-year AFSCME member herself, and now Madison is carrying on the family’s labor legacy as a part of SEIU Healthcare PA.
“We’re out here for better pay, for better health insurance, and for safer staffing. We’ve been bargaining since November and really getting nowhere,” Madison said.
“When we go back to work, it’s going to be a big difference. I don’t think I’ve ever been part of anything more meaningful than this. Just the unity, the solidarity, and all the support we’ve been getting from everybody, it’s truly heartwarming and truly eye opening to see.”
Jessica’s union family is growing as she recently became engaged to Robert Neveroski, the son/grandson of Teamsters and an 18-year member of AFSCME Local 2147, who also showed his support on the Geisinger picket line.
“Even though we all have different walks of life and work different jobs, we’re all still one family — it’s all union,” Robert said.
“We work for better wages and to get rid of corporate greed. The people like Madison here, she runs this hospital, not the CEOs. If it wasn’t for the nurses, this place wouldn’t even run.”
Today marked the last day of the Geisinger nurses’ five-day strike, but the struggle does not end until a fair contract is reached. Until that time, and beyond, AFSCME members will have our sisters and brothers’ backs!
“I want to send a huge thank you to all of AFSCME for showing up out here on the picket line and all of your support for these nurses who are fighting like hell to have a safe community here and a hospital that works for everyone,” said Matthew Yarnell, President of SEIU Healthcare PA.
“People really have the backs of nurses because we know that when we’re sick, we need to make sure that we have the best care, and we know that corporate healthcare should listen to nurses and listen to healthcare workers directly, and make sure that they get the resources they need to be able to do the work.”
Learn more, show your support, and sign the nurses’ petition at valuegeisingernurses.org.
See more photos below!
