We work to improve your lives by advocating on your behalf, protecting your rights and creating safer working conditions.
We also bring your voice to the table with the powers that be, contribute to healthcare policy through our work with the government and other stakeholders, and represent the interests and expertise of you and your families.
Our membership of over 60,000 healthcare workers includes
Workers Represented
Currently Serviced
Our Leaders
Sharleen Stewart
President, SEIU Healthcare
The eldest of six siblings, Sharleen Stewart grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She credits her mother for inspiring her to be strong and independent and her father for teaching her the importance of love and respect.
Dating back to the start of her career as a frontline hospital worker, Sharleen has always been an activist. Never one to shy away from what she believes in, she has spent decades amplifying the voices of healthcare workers and advocating for equality, respect and dignity. She knows that hard work should be rewarded fairly and equally, regardless of gender, race and beliefs.
Sharleen’s ability to mediate and find common ground is at the core of her solution-based personality. She sees herself as someone who supports people to get where they need to be. These are just a few of the qualities that led to her becoming the first woman elected as SEIU Healthcare President in 2003.
As SEIU International Vice-President, Sharleen is the first Canadian woman to sit on the SEIU International Executive Board. She is also the first SEIU woman to sit on the Canadian Labour Congress Executive Committee.
A proud Métis, Sharleen is humbled and honoured to represent SEIU Healthcare’s 60,000 members. She believes being a leader in the labour movement was what she was born to do.
As a mother and grandmother, Sharleen understands the importance of creating innovative and sustainable solutions that not only benefit today’s workers, but future generations as well.
Through hard work and innovation, Sharleen envisions SEIU Healthcare as a 21st century, solution-based union; a union that all members know makes their lives better; a union that teaches employers and governments that the labour movement is a valued partner, not an opponent.
Tyler Downey
Secretary Treasurer, SEIU Healthcare
Tyler Downey’s very first campaign with SEIU Healthcare was in home care as an organizer in 2006. Since then, he has assumed the roles of Director of Leadership and Development and Deputy Chief of Staff, before being appointed to his current role in the summer of 2018.
Growing up in a Christian home, Tyler’s inspiration for community building came from his mother, who always organized various functions and activities at their church. As part of his growing advocacy, he had kickstarted a non-profit organization that helped youth develop their skills in reading comprehension and mathematics.
Throughout his years with SEIU Healthcare, Tyler’s work has always been rooted in building ‘member power’ through education and leadership development. His proudest accomplishment is his significant contribution to SEIU Healthcare’s Leadership Academy, which is designed to help strengthen members’ workplace and political activism.
As the Academy continues to evolve, Tyler hopes that its influence will expand to regional areas so that even more members from across the province can participate and develop skills they can use not only in the workplace, but also in their everyday lives as Ontario citizens.
Moving forward, Tyler wishes to ensure that the next generation of members has access to quality jobs, pension plans, benefits, and wages. He is also optimistic about younger members helping to shape SEIU Healthcare into a 21st century, solution-based union.
Mina Amrith
Executive Vice-President, SEIU Healthcare
Mina Amrith was born in East Africa, Tanzania. Her passion and inspiration stems from her father who always taught her that girls can be whatever they want to be. As a mother of three and a frontline Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, she found her place helping others and worked there for more than 20 years.
During that time, she became involved with SEIU Healthcare as a chief steward and became very politically active. Mina organized Sunnybrook’s first-ever Nursing Week event where she educated her co-workers about SEIU Healthcare’s Nursing Division. She was also the first to implement a dedicated RPN steward into the workplace and organized International Women’s Day events.
As a survivor, Mina is a strong women’s advocate, feminist, and a champion of women’s rights. She continually raises awareness to the issue of domestic violence, particularly how it can impact women in their workplace. One of her proudest accomplishments is the Women’s Advocate Program and Harassment policy. She is the chair of SEIU Healthcare’s Women’s Committee, on the International Women’s Day March Committee in Toronto, a delegate on the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations, and she is on the Canadian Labour Congress’ Women’s Advisory Group.
Mina is humbled and honoured to be the first rank and file member and the first women of colour Executive Vice-President for SEIU Healthcare. She is proud that SEIU Healthcare continually strives for diversity and inclusion. In her new role, she is dedicated to creating initiatives that focus around these human and women’ rights.
Our Vision
Thriving worker, healthy community
Our Mission
We are a healthcare union that advocates for the rights of our members through
Bold and Innovative actions
that achieve fair and equitable working conditions.
Growing and retaining
our membership.
Setting precedents
to elevate the socio-economic wellbeing of workers.
Developing leaders
and activists
Seeking to develop
professional relationships with stakeholders.
Our Values
Credibility
Credibility
we honour our commitments.
Accountability
Accountability
We are accountable to achieve our mission and live our values.
Collaboration
Collaboration
We believe in uniting and working together to reach our goals.
Inclusiveness
Inclusiveness
We believe in diversity and strive to create a community where all are welcomed, respected, and given equal opportunity.
Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development
of our employees, members, experiences, structure, and strategies.
Executive Board
We’re not just a union, we’re a community
Our inclusive and diverse executive board is designed to ensure that every member of SEIU Healthcare is represented. No matter where you live, what sector you work for, or what community you belong to, you have a voice at SEIU Healthcare.
The Executive Board elected at convention consists of the following seats representing membership as follows:
Long Term Care Sector
Kelly Stephenson
Hospital Sector
Andrew Brake
Community Care Sector
Jodi Verburg
Nursing Division President
Jackie Walker
Aboriginal/Indigenous
Shyanna Medicine
Workers of Colour
Vivienne McDougall
Women
Gloria Turney
LGBTQ2+
Larry Kobos
Young Workers
Vacant
Persons with Disability
Francine Perry
Retirees
Marg Bourgoin
REGION 1
Thunder Bay
Cathy Bishop
REGION 2
Northumberland
Carla Sleep
REGION 3
Georgian Bay
Jenn Frandsen
REGION 4
Greater Toronto Area
Stephaney Williams
REGION 5
Hamilton/Halton
Ellen Bekoe
REGION 6
Norfolk/Niagara
Jake Dale
REGION 7
London and Southern Ontario
Christopher Stolte
REGION 8
Algonquin
Elma Lozano
Trustees
Sophia Bent
Believe Dhliwayo
Marlene Hemmings
Junli Wang