1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East leader Dennis Rivera accepts new post to become chair of SEIU Healthcare.
Dennis Rivera, the creative leader of the nation’s largest local u nion of healthcare workers, the New York-based 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, will leave that post this spring, following the U nion?s campaign to defend against the annual attempt to cut health services for New Yorkers in Albany, to become chair of SEIU Healthcare, a new national U nion of nearly one million healthcare workers inside the Service Employees International U nion, of which 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East will be the largest component. The U nion will conduct its triennial election of U nion officers in April, and Rivera will not be on the ballot for the first time since 1986.
Under Rivera’s leadership, the U nion has forged a partnership with management leaders of New York’s hospitals, nursing homes and homecare agencies, that have successfully worked with both parties in New York?s legislature to protect healthcare delivery in the state.
Rivera’s move to the new national U nion comes with the blessing and full support of the 1199SEIU leadership because of the importance of fixing the nation?s broken health care system for patients and workers. The change is expected to be a smooth one. Rivera has been a leading force in SEIU?s Healthcare Division for many years and has been a national leader in the political/legislative arena, especially in the effort to expand healthcare coverage to every American.