Meet the SEIU Local 880 Executive Board
Flora Johnson, President, is a DORS Personal Assistant living on the Southside of
Chicago. A longtime family caregiver, Flora has been compensated as a DORS PA
since 2000. Flora was part of the historic first contract negotiations for DORS
workers in 2003.
Martina Casey, Vice President, has worked as
a home child care provider in Chicago for six years. She joined SEIU Local 880
in 2001 and makes providers' voices heard on the
Child Care & Development Advisory Council and Early Learning
Council. Inspired by her experience and that of other uninsured providers, Martina fought to win first-ever funding for
health coverage in contract negotiations.
Oneal Rayford, Secretary, worked as a Help
at Home homemaker when she joined SEIU Local 880. Since then, she has worked as a child care provider and a PA. Oneal
was one of the “Stop the Cuts” Six, taking arrest in 2002 to successfully stop $50
million in proposed cuts to home care programs.
Martha Tolliver, Treasurer, is a Community
Care home care worker. Martha helped win higher wages and backpay from the
company as a bargaining committee member. She was also one of the “Stop the
Cuts” Six who went to jail in 2003 to stop $50 million in cuts to state-funded
homecare programs. Martha lives in Chicago Heights.
Keith Kelleher, Recording Secretary, has
served as the Head Organizer of Local 880 for over 23 years. Prior to coming to
Local 880, Keith worked as a community and union organizer. Following the
groundbreaking first contract victories for DORS workers and home child care
providers in Illinois, Keith has helped SEIU home care and child care locals in
other states develop organizing models.
Board Members
Armean Allen has been a member of Local 880
since 1987. She was one of the original members of the DORS organizing
committee, served on the DORS bargaining committee in 2003 and in 2002 was one
of the “Stop the Cuts” Six who successfully protested $50 million in home care
budget cuts.
Phyllis Clifford is a DORS personal
assistant who lives in Galesburg. She has been a member of SEIU Local 880 for
five years and joined the Board in 2003 after taking part in DORS contract
negotiations. She speaks out regularly on the need for affordable health care
for Illinois home care workers.
Barbara Hamilton has many years of
experience as a home child care provider in Mt. Vernon. She was a member of the
home child care bargaining committee in 2005, winning millions of dollars in
health care funding and average 35% rate increases for all Illinois providers.
Alma McIntosh has been a home child care
provider for more than 20 years and a Local 880 and ACORN member for more than
ten years. Alma was a member of the 2005 home child care bargaining team that
won average 35% rate increases for all providers and funding for health care.
She’s proud of the work she does shaping the futures of young children in
Chicago.
Ella Stacy is a home child care provider
living in Peoria. A Local 880 member since 2003, she has been a home child care
provider for over 16 years. Ella was a member of the child care bargaining
committee, helping secure more than $200 million in additional funding for rate
increases and health insurance for home child care providers.
Angenita Tanner was one of the first home child care providers
to join SEIU Local 880 in 1996 and was a leader of the first home child care
organizing committee. She helped lead the way to the bargaining table for home
child care providers’ first contract negotiations, winning guaranteed raises,
incentives for training and education, and health care
for thousands of providers.
Maria Velazquez knew other working parents were struggling like she was to find quality care when she left her insurance industry job to open her home child care. She has represented home child care
providers on CBS’s “60 Minutes” and at the bargaining table. Thanks in part to her efforts, thousands of
Illinois child care providers won health care and millions of dollars for rate
increases.
Alberta Walker is an Addus and DORS home care
worker and a home child care provider in South Suburban Dixmoor. Alberta
served as a member of the Addus National Contract Bargaining team, which negotiated the first national
collective bargaining agreement between SEIU and Addus uniting
more than 10,000 workers across the country for living
wages and health care.