NPR: SEIU's First Female President Sets Out To Heal Rifts

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126769490

by Don Gonyea

May 12, 2010 Listen to the Story at link

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Mary Kay Henry, the new president of the 2.2 million-member Service Employees International Union, inherits an organization that added scores of members while most other unions shrank. But bitter internal fights also grew under Henry's controversial predecessor, and she's now tasked with healing those rifts. She says she'll also focus on beefing up union organizing and the SEIU's political clout.

As a native of Detroit — a big union town — Henry says she saw firsthand how unions made life better for middle-class families. The third oldest of 10 children in a big Catholic family, she grew up wanting to work in the health care field. She graduated from college in 1979 and went to work for SEIU organizing hospital employees in California. Now, at age 52, she has been an international executive vice president of the union for six years. And this past weekend, she became the first woman to hold the SEIU's top job.

"Every time I'm introduced, like this morning, I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm the president of SEIU,' " Henry says.

She says her job is to articulate the hopes of SEIU members on a national level.

"There is a deep sense, I think, on the part of our members and all working people, that there is a crisis in this country for working people, that we've had it with trying to make ends meet and not have our work rewarded," Henry says. "So I hope it will be reigniting the fire that our union has had for a very long time to address that economic crisis on behalf of all workers."

But another big task she inherits is to try to deal with the aftermath of internal disputes between her predecessor and some local union members.

Settling Disputes

Andy Stern, who retired last month, had several high-profile clashes with union leaders in California. The bitter fights started over negotiating and organizing strategy, and then escalated, affecting tens of thousands of workers.

FULL story at link.


Exit Interview: SEIU Head Andy Stern Steps Down April 15, 2010
Departing SEIU Chief Stern Grew, Split Big Labor April 14, 2010