December 31, 2014
By Stephanie West
New York, NY – George Gresham, President of New York City’s largest labor union, 1199SEIU, is being honored with the 2015 American Foundation for The University of the West Indies Special Award. President Gresham rose through the ranks to become the head of one of the most powerful unions in the country.
President Gresham will be presented with the prestigious award at the Annual Legacy Awards Gala on Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at The Pierre in New York City.
Now in its 18th year, the annual event, seeks to raise funds for the University of the West Indies (UWI), the largest and most longstanding higher education provider in the English-speaking Caribbean. Former New York City Mayor David Dinkins will be this year’s Honorary Dinner Chair.
A strong advocate for the rights of health care workers and their families, Mr. Gresham is the fifth president in the union’s 75-year history. His leadership has consistently provided successful collective bargaining agreements for the members of 1199SEIU.
Mr. Gresham serves as a Vice President of the Executive Board of Service Employees Internal Union with 2.1 million working members in locals throughout the nation. He co-chairs the 1199SEIU National Benefit Fund, the largest self-insured union healthcare plan in the nation, the 1199SEIU Training and Upgrading Fund, which has employer contributions and grant funding of over $150 million per year, the 1199/Employer Child Care Fund, which covers over 50,000 children of members, and the 1199SEIU Pension Fund, which has nearly $7 billion in assets.
Tickets for the fundraising gala start at $500. To reserve or purchase tickets, contact AFUWI by calling 212-759-9345. Proceeds from the gala each year go toward providing scholarships and last year 40 scholarships were awarded to deserving students for the academic year.
