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Who We Are

SEIU Healthcare is a healthcare union in Canada with more than 60,000 frontline workers. Our number one priority is to ensure that your work is recognized and valued by your employers.

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

Activity Aides Clerical Support Developmental Support Workers Dietary Aides Housekeepers Lab Techs Maintenance Workers Paramedics Registered Nurses Personal Support Workers Registered Practical Nurses Social Workers
60,000
Healthcare
Workers Represented
438
Units
Currently Serviced

Our Leaders

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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.


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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.


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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. In 2021, Mina was named the first-ever Vice President, Women on the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) executive board, and also serves on the International Women’s Day March Committee in Toronto, is a delegate on the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations, and 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

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