The District 1199C Training and Upgrading Fund is the educational and vocational training arm of the Philadelphia-area chapter of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees (NUHHCE), which is an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The union parent organization of the fund is referred to as both AFSCME District 1199C and District 1199C NUHHCE.

The fund was created as part of a 1974 collective bargaining agreement between District 1199C NUHHCE and eleven Philadelphia-area hospitals, and has since grown to include participation from area hospitals and over 50 long-term care facilities, behavioral health clinics, and home healthcare agencies. The fund also provides educational services to the general public. The focus of the organization is providing training and certification for Philadelphia-area students to become health care workers. ¹

Background

The District 1199C Training and Upgrading Fund was founded in 1974 and has grown to become a partnership between the District 1199C National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees and over 50 local health care facilities including hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies. The organization provides education through its Breslin Learning Center in downtown Philadelphia where it helps aspiring health care workers earn an array of degrees and certifications including GEDs and certifications for health care workers including Licensed Practical Nurses, Nurse Aides, Home Health Aides, and Community Health Workers. The organization also provided a variety of programs through its learning center for current District 1199C NUHHCE Union members. The organization’s learning center also partners with hotel workers’ union Unite Here to provide a training program called the Philadelphia Hospitality Academy. ²

The Board of Directors of the District 1199C Training and Upgrading fund consists of nine union officials from District 1199C NUHHCE, AFSCME and eight representatives from local Philadelphia-area health care organizations. Healthcare organizations represented on the board include Thomas Jefferson University & Hospital, Temple University Health System, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Simpson House, and the Inglis Foundation. ³

Activity

Like other labor unions, the District 1199C Training and Upgrading Fund endorses candidates for public office, as does its parent organization, the District 1199C NUHHC labor union. During 2017 judicial elections, the Training and Upgrading fund was specifically listed as an endorser of multiple left-leaning judicial candidates, listed separately from its local labor union parent organization, which more frequently engages in left-leaning politics. ⁴

The organization also operates the Greater Philadelphia Healthcare Partnership, which is funded by both the District 1199C Training and Upgrading Fund and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Division. The Healthcare Partnership operates several training programs that employers can sponsor for their employees either onsite to at the Breslin Learning Center. ⁵

In 2017, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (D) toured the organization’s Breslin learning center and stated support for the programs operated by the organization and its union affiliates. ⁶

1. “About.” District 1199c Training and Upgrading Fund. Accessed July 28, 2020.  https://www.1199ctraining.org/about
2. “Get Started.” District 1199c Training and Upgrading Fund. Accessed July 28, 2020.  https://www.1199ctraining.org/get-started
3. “Board of Trustees.” District 1199c Training and Upgrading Fund. Accessed July 28, 2020.  https://www.1199ctraining.org/board-of-trustees
4. “Philadelphia Judicial Primary Candidates At A Glance Guide.” Philadelphia Sun. May 12, 2017. Accessed July 28, 2020. https://www.philasun.com/local/philadelphia-judicial-primary-candidates-glance-guide/
5. “Clinical Programs.” Greater Philadelphia Healthcare Partnership. Accessed July 28, 2020. https://www.greaterphilahealthcare.org/clinical-programs.html
6. “Governor Wolf Tours District 1199C Breslin Learning Center, Discusses Apprenticeships as Career Pathways.” Governor Tom Wolf. April 3, 2017. Accessed July 28, 2020. https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/governor-wolf-tours-district-1199c-breslin-learning-center-discusses-apprenticeships-as-career-pathways/