Issued June 25, 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. - More than a dozen members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) joined SEIU President Mary Kay Henry to attend this week's White House Summit on Working Families in Washington, D.C.
Hosted by the White House Council on Women and Girls, the Department of Labor and the Center for American Progress (CAP), the event convened businesses, labor leaders, economists, policymakers, advocates and ordinary citizens to focus on creating a 21st century workplace that works for all Americans.
Henry participated in a panel discussion during which she highlighted the concerns of those in low-wage occupations - including the care sector, which is growing as America's family needs change. "Caregiving needs to be regarded as work in our nation and needs to be rewarded in the same way that we think about restaurant work or accounting work," Henry said. "We think that's possible when people are able to join together and bargain with their employers (to) raise wages (and) improve standards and benefits."
SEIU members attended the summit from California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington. Before addressing the summit, President Obama took some of the attendees to lunch - including Shirley Young, a member of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. A certified nursing assistant and single mother, Young shared with the president that when she found out her son had a curvature of his spine, she didn't have to pay anything out of pocket to cover the $60,000 hospital bill--thanks to SEIU 1199 and the benefits secured in her contract.
The White House made numerous policy announcements to coincide with the summit, highlighting the expansion of a labor-government partnership that will boost workers' access to training. More than 40 unions and labor management organizations, including SEIU, are pledging to "expand low-skilled workers' access to their training programs and share best practices on effective workforce and career pathway programs" in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education, according to a White House release. The collaboration represents partnerships with nearly 8,000 employers, about 3,000 of which employ SEIU members.
The president also signed a memo directing federal agencies to expand access to flexible work schedules; made Department of Labor funding available for training grants to provide low-wage individuals - including those facing barriers to training due to childcare responsibilities - opportunities to advance in their careers; and called on Congress to pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.