Introducing 1199SEIU President Yvonne Armstrong

Forging a fresh path for our Union from the ground up.

Question: What are your core values?

Answer: I believe in people. I believe in our members. There’s no force more powerful than working people who understand their worth and fight together.

In my nearly 50 years of service, I think about all of those I have walked alongside on picket lines or sat next to at bargaining tables. We have fought through many tough battles together and it was always with a deep belief in fairness, in doing the right thing, and lifting each other up.

Question: What are the biggest challenges facing our Union today?

Answer: We’ve got some serious fights ahead. Medicaid is on the chopping block, and the folks pushing those cuts couldn’t care less about the people we care for— or the jobs our families depend on.

This isn’t just about numbers on a budget—it’s about real lives. It’s about kids, seniors, and working families who could lose access to care. But 1199 has never backed down from a fight. And we’re not going to start now.

Question: How do you plan to transform 1199 to meet these challenges?

Answer: First, we must get our own house in order. A full audit of our finances is underway so we can make sure every dollar is working for you, our members – not wasted, not hidden, but used to build power where it counts.

Then we go big. We organize. We fight for stronger contracts. We stand up in Albany, in D.C., and anywhere else decisions are being made about our jobs and our future. We’ve got to be bold. We’ve got to be loud. And we’ve got to lead—not follow.

Question: What is your leadership style?

Answer: Building Union power in the shops takes humility. It takes courage. It takes showing up with your full self – even when it is hard, even when it is uncomfortable. First and foremost, we must center care—not just as a job, but as a calling that deserves investment, respect and protection.

Question: How will you re-engage the whole membership in the mission?

Answer: Members voted for change. Loud and clear. So, we’re going to start by listening.

This summer, we’re hitting the road for a listening tour. I want to hear directly from members— what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to change. Not just from the same few voices—but from folks in every region, every division, every kind of shop.

Real change doesn’t happen from the top down. It happens from the ground up. And that’s how we’re going to rebuild this union— together.

We do not take this mission lightly. The future of healthcare is at stake. The future of the labor movement is at stake. But because of the membership of this great Union— the love, the strength and the fight that lives here—we are going to win.