Our core endorsements: Josh Shapiro for Governor; Austin Davis for Lt. Gov; Malcom Kenyatta for U.S. Senate; Summer Lee for Congress, 18th District
Our Union has the most amazing, passionate, and persuasive healthcare leaders around who know how to rally a crowd and give a powerful endorsement speech when we decide to support a political candidate.
We support candidates for all levels of government who champion our “Unions for All” agenda and who will fight for the issues that matter to our members, such as ending the short-staffing crisis and demanding more resources are spent for bedside care.
For example, Cyrell Green, a laundry aide at Saunders House nursing home in West Philly represented our Union to give a rousing speech to endorse Attorney General Josh Shapiro on November 15, 2021.
“As Attorney General Josh Shapiro is an advocate, a man of integrity, and a true public servant. He will hold powerful institutions, special interests, and healthcare monopolies – like UPMC and nursing home bosses that break the law – accountable and responsible for their actions. The stakes of this election are crystal clear to all working families.”
“Josh Shapiro honors and respects all caregivers and the important, life-saving work we do,” said Cyrell Green, our nursing home leader.
Then on January 19th, Julie Moore, a nursing home CNA in Philadelphia, spoke forcefully about why she is honored to support Malcolm Kenyatta’s candidacy for the United States Senate.
“I am so excited to be here today because Malcolm Kenyatta is a visionary leader that excites workers to get involved in our movement to strengthen Unions, invest in our communities, and bring our divided state and nation together!”
“I have watched too many politicians side with corporate healthcare, refusing to hold those CEOs accountable. And while we break our backs and those we care for suffer, the rich get richer and our healthcare system falls into crisis.
Malcolm Kenyatta is the leader who builds bridges – and who will continue to tear down the walls of bigotry, intolerance, and injustice,” said Julie Moore, a nursing home CNA.
Then in Pittsburgh on Feb 1st, the first day of Black History Month, our Union and the State Council endorsed State Rep. Summer Lee for Congress to represent the 18th District.
Sarah Lillie, an ICU nurse at West Penn Hospital, knocked her endorsement speech for Summer Lee out of the park.
Sarah spoke movingly about the intense struggle to form our Union of nurses in August 2020 during the height of the COVID pandemic. It would take an entire year – and the threat of a strike in July 2021 – to finally sign our first collective bargaining agreement that August.
Sarah then connected her organizing fight for our Union to electing Summer Lee to Congress.
“Our healthcare workers had to fight hospital executives and management every step of the way for more testing, hazard pay, paid sick-time – you name it. It showed why every single worker must have the right and the ability to join a Union – to protect ourselves and our patients. This is why Summer Lee believes in expanding our “Unions for All” agenda because she knows that workers need a voice,” said Lillie.
Then Sarah’s speech looked to the future and asked:
“We don’t know exactly when, but we will get to a new place where the COVID pandemic will be just a factor in our lives that we have to manage – and not our all-consuming and day-to-day focus.
The question for all of us is this: who do we want to lead us through this new, challenging, and uncertain world? I want Summer Lee to be leading that transformation,” said Sarah Lillie, ICU Nurse at West Penn.
The 2022 midterm elections in Pennsylvania will be a turning point for all caregivers. The stakes of this primary and the general election couldn’t be any higher.
Matt Yarnell, President of SEIU Healthcare PA stated, “We can elect an executive leadership team in Harrisburg who will protect our rights and push for safe staffing, fair funding, and strong unions. We need champions who have proven their dedication, commitment and vision to build a just society for all people – no matter what they look like, who they love, or where they come from, the kind of candidates who can fire up union members to campaign and win elections. Austin Davis, whom is seeking the Lt. Governor’s office as Josh Shapiro’s effective running mate, is one of the vital champions for working families.”
Austin Davis has served the people of McKeesport in Allegheny County as State Representative since 2018. He’s from our working class, son of a union bus driver and a hairdresser. Austin Davis backs our Patient Safety Act for safe staffing. He fights for legislation to expand access to quality, affordable healthcare. When hospital workers strike and rally for their rights, Austin Davis marches with our members in the streets. It’s this kind of fierce advocacy that persuaded Josh Shapiro, SEIU’s endorsed candidate for Governor, to back Austin Davis.
Collectively, these four races are about supporting candidates who walk the walk – those who have showed up at our picket lines to march with healthcare workers, and advocate for solutions for all working families.
But even deeper than that, our voting rights are under attack across the country like never before.
It’s all the more reason that our members are registering to vote, educating ourselves and co-workers about the vital issues impacting our communities, and committing ourselves that no matter what we will be voting in 2022! Speaking out and supporting our true champions is how we start.