Our own history began in December 1969, when a conference was held to form the 1199 National Organizing Committee for the express purpose of organizing health care workers throughout the country. Hoping to organize, committee representatives went to various cities across the country including Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Boston and Philadelphia. At that time hospital workers were not allowed to join a union! The National Organizing Committee successfully lobbied Harrisburg for the passage of Act 195 which gave hospital workers in Pennsylvania the right to organize and compelled employers to bargain in good faith.