100 Most Influential People in Healthcare - 2022

Henry has led the SEIU since 2010, when she became its first woman president. She advocates for better pay, benefits and working conditions on behalf of the labor union’s 2 million members in the healthcare, public services and property services industries. In the past year, she has been a vocal proponent of shoring up the nursing home industry, which this summer she said was “a system on the brink of collapse.” Contributing factors, she said, include acute staffing shortages driven by low pay, overwork and burnout. Henry was also an early supporter of the “Fight for $15” campaign launched 10 years ago calling for mandatory increases in the minimum wage. The movement is credited with helping to bring pay equity issues into the national spotlight.