Today is a proud day for SEIU 2015 and countless dedicated caregivers across California as we celebrate the election of our former President, April Verrett, as the new International President of SEIU. April will continue Mary Kay Henry’s successes, build on her strong legacy, and lead our union boldly into the future.
Having worked alongside April here at SEIU 2015, I know she will continue her commitment to building an anti-racist worker organization that will powerfully resist corporate greed and structural racism. April knows that we will never win economic justice without racial justice.
April Verrett’s career has been a testament of her commitment to empowering, mobilizing, and uplifting workers. Her leadership is fueled by the belief that unions are not just a means to secure better wages, benefits, and working conditions, but a powerful platform for advocacy to win all forms of justice—economic, racial, environmental, gender, disability, generational, social, housing.
During her tenure at SEIU Local 2015, April achieved significant victories that have had a lasting impact on California’s long-term care workers. She championed the restoration of major funding cuts to the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, ensuring broader access to essential care. Additionally, under her leadership, the state saw a dramatic expansion in state-funded training opportunities, allowing home care workers to enhance their skills and career prospects. April also successfully secured hazard pay, greater investments in personal protective equipment (PPE), and safety standards, protecting the health and well-being of home care workers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, calling out the slow and inadequate response in communities and workplaces of color.
Drawing from both her personal and professional experiences, April knows what it takes to overcome challenges and to build power for service and care workers against the odds. She knows how to bring people together to get things done when the stakes are high. We look forward to the transformative leadership April will bring to SEIU, continuing to inspire and uplift workers everywhere.