March 2026 Newsletter – Issue 185

Grievance Committee

Meets on the first and last Wednesday of every month starting at 6pm

Membership Meeting

Membership meetings will be held from 12pm – 2pm the third (3rd) Saturday of every month. We rotate monthly between the Children’s auditorium and the WHC auditorium.

Effective April 18, 2026, we are changing the time of our membership meetings. Our new time will be Noon – 2 pm so please plan accordingly. We will continue to rotate the meeting location between the Washington Hospital Center ground floor “True Auditorium” and the Children’s National “2nd Floor Auditorium”.

No matter where you work, Please be aware of the “Employee Conduct Policy”. Your conduct can cost you your job.

Please pay attention to your cell phone use, eating and drinking in the workplace, having Weapons and Fighting. These are just some of the violations of the conduct policy that are happening at both facilities.

Also, please be conscious of keeping your personal business to yourself because once it is out, it is out.

Associates at Medstar Washington Hospital Center: the hospital is in the process of finishing the group of Equity Reviews that was put in the contract.

From the Desk of the President

I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation and gratitude to participate in the Black Labor Week in Atlanta in February 2026. I did not know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised by what happened and how the different activities turned out with the coming together of the different unions.

We went to the Salvation Army homeless shelter where we participated in washing walls, cleaning windows and helping to clean out their storage area where we unpacked huge containers of canned goods and put them in plastic containers and on shelves.

We went to Tri-City High School to speak with students.

We visited the Movement Center where we discussed voting rights. How, why, when and by whom the first union was started.

We went to the Atlanta Food Bank where we packed boxes of food to be delivered throughout the city. Our efforts in successfully preparing food packages for thousands of families was very critical in these challenging times in our country.

It was a unique experience in watching many unions come together to benefit the community.

During this experience I thought I would be going to help within the communities in Atlanta, but the experience ended up helping me as well.

I realize that it is a lot of work and effort on our part, but the effort is well worth it when you see and experience the gratitude and appreciation the community bestows upon us.

Alease Noble-Walker

My Black Labor Week Experience

Black labor week on February 22, 2026 through February 27, 2026 was filled with great purpose and a Joyful presence in Atlanta, Georgia!

The classes gave me a new insight on how the Black Labor week provides and continues to carry assistance through-out our lives and to our own different States!

Black Labor helps us all as active members to assist your fellow man and their needs and the strength the work it provides!

We all assisted in volunteering in the different facilities, (i.e., the Salvation Army the Georgia Food banks) etc.!

I have learned so many things about the organization! It is amazing that they do not only feed people they also assist them in locating housing, job placement as well as assisting in mental health programs!

This program’s growing purpose is to assists their fellow citizens and families rise above and beyond to become greater in their communities and city!

Thank you, SEIU 722 for the opportunity and assisting in this great endeavor of the Black Labor week!

Karl Malone
Board Member

Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month in March honors U.S. women’s contributions, originating from a 1911 International Women’s Day sparked by the 1857 labor protests. Initially a 1978 local week in California, Congress declared a national week in 1980 and expanded it to the full month in 1987. The month highlights trailblazers like the first female Congress member (1916) and VP (2021).

Key Origins and Evolution

Rooted in Labor: The celebration originates from March 8, 1857, when NYC garment workers protested harsh conditions. This later influenced the 1909, 1910, and 1911 Women’s Day celebrations, which focused on suffrage and labor rights.

From Week to Month: In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation for National Women’s History Week. Congress passed Public Law 100-9 in 1987, officially designating March as Women’s History Month.

Global Connection: International Women’s Day, recognized by the United Nations on March 8, aligns with this, acknowledging women’s contributions to peace and social progress.

Historical Trailblazers and Facts

Politics: Jeannette Rankin became the first woman elected to Congress in 1916. Kamala Harris became the first female Vice President in 2021.

Government & Law: Nellie Tayloe Ross was the first female state governor. The Wyoming Territory was the first to grant women the right to vote.

Science & Achievement: Katherine Johnson’s calculations were critical to NASA’s Apollo 11 mission.

Military: Harriet Tubman was the first woman to lead an armed military operation during the Combahee River Raid.

Other Milestones: Women could not legally obtain their own credit cards until 1974.

Click here to download a PDF version of the March 2026 Newsletter