1199 SEIU Endorses Lea Webb for State Senate
One of the Largest Unions in New York Praises Lea’s
Commitment to Healthcare Workers
NEW YORK — Today, 1199-SEIU announced its endorsement of Democratic State Senate candidate Lea Webb. The state’s largest healthcare union emphasized the importance of electing representatives who will prioritize the needs of healthcare workers who remained underpaid and understaffed throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I support Lea Webb because she supports healthcare and healthcare workers. With her history as an advocate for labor and a union member herself, I know as a State Senator, she will prioritize legislation that will provide us with the tools we need to give the best possible care," said 1199-SEIU member Shirley Barnes, who works at Absolut Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation Endicott as a Certified Nurse Aide.
"Healthcare workers have been asked to go above and beyond the call of duty over the last 2 years and we need representatives in office who not only recognize those efforts, but fight to ensure workers are paid a fair and equitable wage. Lea Webb knows the importance of keeping New York a Union Strong State and is the right person to represent our members in the Southern Tier and Central New York. 1199-SEIU proudly endorses Lea Webb for State Senate District 52,” said 1199-SEIU Syracuse Area Vice President Kevin Lockhart Sr.
State Senate Candidate Lea Webb said, "Over the course of the past two years, we saw the inequities facing healthcare workers. Those inequities are not new, but as we navigate an unprecedented time in our state with more and more being asked of our workers, the volume has been turned up. New York is a union state, and I'm proud to be a union member along with the thousands of union workers living here. But we cannot sit on our laurels. We must advance legislation that prioritizes equitable pay and benefits for all workers. I am humbled to have the endorsement of 1199-SEIU, an organization that has long defended the rights of their members. I look forward to continuing our fight to keep New York Union Strong."
The Democratic Primary is on August 23, 2022.
About Lea Webb
Lea Webb was the first African American and youngest person ever elected to the Binghamton City Council, and she is an award-winning activist who has been recognized as one of tomorrow's leaders by Oprah magazine and the White House Project. She has more than 15 years of experience as a Community Organizer leading efforts on various social and environmental justice issues; quality education, health care, access to fresh foods, and sustainable jobs. She has passed legislation supporting equal pay for women, the creation of a city-based human rights commission, establishing a city-wide climate action plan, and other equity-based legislation.
She has more than 15 years of experience as a Community Organizer leading efforts on various social and environmental justice issues; quality education, health care, access to fresh foods, and sustainable jobs. She has passed legislation supporting equal pay for women, the creation of a city-based human rights commission, establishing a city-wide climate action plan, and other equity-based legislation.
A lifelong Southern Tier NY resident, raised in a blue-collar family and proud graduate of public school, Webb is a first-generation graduate of SUNY Broome, where she earned a degree in liberal arts and sciences, and Binghamton University, where she earned a degree in neuroscience. Lea is now an educator at Binghamton University, where she develops diversity and inclusion training and programs for faculty, staff, and students to advance its goals of fostering diversity and respect. She is a national trainer with Vote Run Lead, training thousands of women across the country on how to run for elected office. She is a Co-Chair/Co-Founder of the Black Millennial Political Convention and a Founding Board Member of Local Progress. Lea was and was honored with the President’s Award by the Broome-Tioga Branch of the NAACP for her significant contributions to her community.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 26, 2022
CONTACT: Tess McRae, tess@theparksidegroup.com
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