March 31st, 2021

Politico: ‘Who do they trust? It’s their union.’ Organized labor steps in to convince immigrant workers to get vaccines

By Neal

President Greg Kelley is featured in an article from Politico about vaccines and immigrant workers. The article begins….

Unions and advocacy groups are racing to convince both documented and undocumented immigrant workers that they should get Covid-19 shots after former President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdowns sowed fears about using government services.

The article outlines the work President Kelley and SEIU HCIIMK are doing to protect immigrants and provide information and opportunities for members to get vaccinated.

And in the Midwest, another SEIU local chapter is lobbying state and local government officials to facilitate vaccination of immigrant workers.
“We have raised with all of the authorities that we can that ID requirement is a barrier,” said Greg Kelley, president of SEIU Healthcare in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Kansas. “Asking status is a barrier.”
Kelley’s chapter is collaborating with nursing home owners to convince employees to get vaccinated. As part of that effort, Kelley himself got a shot on camera.
“They reached out and said, ‘We know your members trust you. Would you be willing to work with us?’” he said.

Read the full article.