Merrimack Health Lawrence Hospital, formerly Lawrence General Hospital. (Photograph by Swampyank. Creative Commons.)
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Various healthcare workers at Merrimack Health Lawrence Hospital voted recently to join 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East
About 500 workers, including nurses aides, phlebotomists, housekeepers, transport workers, pharmacy techs and radiology aides will become part of the union after 89% of workers voted in favor in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board covering the former Lawrence General Hospital
“Together, we made our voices heard, and together we won!” said Tara Benjamin, a lead phlebotomist at Lawrence Hospital. “This victory belongs to every member who stood up, voted and believed in the power of unity. Now the real work begins!”
Cari Medina, executive vice president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, said, “Through our union, we’re fighting for—and winning—high-quality jobs with strong wages and benefits, so that healthcare workers can focus on what they got into this field to do—care for our patients. Across Massachusetts and here at Lawrence Hospital, we’re working to address the high turnover and burnout that are contributing to a crisis in our healthcare workforce.”
Medina added members are “excited to get to work bargaining a strong first contract that will deliver meaningful improvements for the critical healthcare workers of Lawrence Hospital.”
Lawrence Hospital workers began organizing in 2025 and filed for their union election in June 2026
