Henry, Mary Kay

SEIU Healthcare Division Records

aorchard — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:43:46 -0500

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat
janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, now comprising three divisions:
healthcare, property services, and public services. The Healthcare Division Records primarily
detail various aspects of Hospital and Healthcare Workers Union Local 250’s trusteeship and
transition back to self-governance from 1986 through 1989. Additional subjects covered are the 1986 Healthcare Division Conference, and the 1986 Kaiser Strike. Document formats found within the records include correspondence, speeches, briefings, agenda, and clippings.

Notable Women of SEIU

aorchard — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:27:05 -0400

Women have been a part of SEIU since its inception, when Elizabeth A. Grady was elected Trustee at the founding convention in 1921. Grady often reminded her fellow executive board members, all of whom were men, “You men must know that you cannot get very far or make any real progress if you have women workers who compete with you, unorganized and working for less wages” (Union Sisters, p. 16). Indeed, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was keenly aware of the importance of organizing women, demonstrated by correspondence found in the SEIU Historical Records. Amidst the correspondence are documents sent by AFL’s then president Sam Gompers, such as reports detailing labor’s organization of women in Europe during the 1920s, as well as questionnaires to AFL Internationals, generating data on women in industry. However, given SEIU’s initial gender integration, in part due to SEIU’s organization of flat (apartment) janitors whose wives were expected to share in the work, SEIU already recognized the importance of women in the labor movement. Indeed, while not always in the most visible of positions, women, both rank-and-file members, and those within SEIU’s leadership, have made great contributions to SEIU and the greater labor movement over the years. In honor of Women’s History Month, we take a look at some of SEIU’s more prominent female leaders. read more »

(29646) Anna Burger, Mary Kay Henry, 21st SEIU International Convention, Chicago, Illinois, 1996

aorchard — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:43:23 -0500

Anna Burger and Mary Kay Henry in discussion during the 21st SEIU International Convention in Chicago, Illinois, 1996.

(30769) Eliseo Medina, Mary Kay Henry, Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, 1998

aorchard — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:24:23 -0500

Eliseo Medina and Mary Kay Henry celebrate after the Frontier Hotel workers return to work.

(32493) Nurses march meeting

gstrassel — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 11:26:45 -0500

Nurses march at Capitol and White House meeting, and meeting at AFL-CIO, 1997. Andy Stern with Mary Kay Henry with SEIU members at a meeting at the AFL-CIO.

(32593) Legislative conference

gstrassel — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 14:12:15 -0500

Legislative conference, reception, and lobby day in 1995.

Future SEIU president Mary Kay Henry talking with then current president John Sweeney at the SEIU legislative conference in Washington DC.

(32594) SEIU presidents

gstrassel — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 14:17:03 -0500

Legislative conference, reception, and lobby day in 1995.

Future SEIU president Mary Kay Henry talking with then current president John Sweeney at the union's legislative conference in Washington DC.