SEIU Delegates Approve April Verrett As New International President
Running uncontested, convention delegates elected their new leader on Monday, ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris' Tuesday visit.
By Peter List, Editor | May 21, 2024
On Monday, delegates to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) convention taking place in Philadelphia this week selected SEIU Secretary-Treasurer April Verrett to replace Mary Kay Henry as the union’s new International President.
Verrett, who became SEIU’s Secretary-Treasurer in 2022, is the former head of California’s SEIU Local 2015, which has approximately 385,000 members.
Now, as the SEIU’s new International President, Verrett will be responsible for the 1.8 million member union and political powerhouse.
Though SEIU members did not vote for Verrett, her candidacy was unopposed and convention delegates selected her unanimously.
Despite a rancorous relationship with unionized SEIU staffers last year, including accusations of ‘union-busting’ by Verrett and out-going president Mary Kay Henry, the unionized staff tweeted their support for Verrett late Monday afternoon.
Verrett’s Monday selection by convention delegates followed the SEIU’s “Unions For All” rally on Sunday in downtown Philadelphia.
On Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris will be the keynote speaker at the SEIU convention, as the union is a key backer of the Biden Administration.
The SEIU was one of the first unions to endorse the Biden-Harris campaign for re-election, having done so in Spring 2023.
“The SEIU represents about 2 million healthcare, service and government workers, and said in March it planned to spend $200 million to support President Joe Biden’s reelection bid, as well as help Democrats in presidential battleground states in 2024,” reported the Pennsylvania Capital Star.
The SEIU convention ends on Wednesday.