For 1199SEIU, retired members remain members of the Union. There are some 45,000 retired members. Most of them receive employer-paid pensions negotiated as part of the collective bargaining contract; and continue to enjoy supplemental healthcare benefits.

Retirees are organized in 16 chapters throughout New York City, Long Island, Florida and the Carolinas. The Retirees Division arranges an extensive menu of classes in photography and art, quilting and drama, etc; as well as choral groups, luncheons and banquets, political mobilizations, trips to entertainment centers and sites of historical interest, and a host of other activities.