For over one hundred years, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has been advocating on behalf of their 2 million members, who work in the healthcare, public sector, and property services sector. Now, in 2024, for the first time ever, April Verrett, a Black woman has been elected to lead the union as president.
The news of Verrett’s election was announced on Monday along with the other slate of new SEIU leadership, as a part of the kick off to the 2024 SEIU International Convention in Philadelphia. In conjunction with this historic news, the second-largest union in America also had another milestone—a keynote speech from Vice President Kamala Harris.
During her remarks, Harris noted that since the beginning, “SEIU has ‘been on the front lines of every major expansion of rights for the American people.’”
Harris also referenced time she has previously spent with members of the most diverse union in the U.S. during Detroit and Oakland visits, “describing the physically and emotionally taxing work taken on by those in the service industry,” stating “And care workers deserve to be paid fully and fairly for that work.”
SEIU already endorsed President Biden earlier this election cycle, and this is the Vice President’s second trip to the City of Brotherly Love this May, as the Biden campaign struggles to ensure a large turnout from voters of color.
In an excerpt from the Digital Commons at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, from a historical perspective, “[d]iversity has been an issue for the labor movement from the earliest days of unions…As a consequence, organized labor’s record on diversity is complex and mixed. Different unions at various times have either welcomed diversity as a matter of principle and moved to build inclusive organizations, or have adopted strategies of exclusion in efforts to control the supply of labor.”
Verrett’s win signals “the labor movement’s renewed dedication to embracing diversity and equity, and commitment to fighting systemic injustices. April’s ascent to the presidency of SEIU breaks barriers and sets a precedent for inclusive leadership. It signals to union members and the broader community that the voices of women and BIPOC communities are valued and needed at the highest levels of leadership,” per the SEIU press release.
On the heels of this momentous accomplishment, Verrett told ESSENCE, “I’m profoundly grateful to lead this union and continue the fight to ensure no working person is left behind.”
“Everything in my life has taught me that we have to fight for what we deserve, and we’re going to fight to win worker power by writing new rules to make sure we all have a seat at the table and to end poverty wage work forever,” Verrett continued.
“For too long, far too many workers, particularly women and women of color have been written out and written off in this economy,” she added. “A union card isn’t just a ticket to a better life – it’s a ticket to a better world.”