Mourning the death of George Gresham, distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community

Senate Resolution No. 2093

BY: Senator BAILEY

        MOURNING    the    death    of   George   Gresham,
        distinguished citizen  and  devoted  member  of  his
        community

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens  of  the  State  of New York whose lifework and civic endeavors
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and

  WHEREAS, On Friday, May 8, 2026, George Gresham left his loved  ones
at the age of 71; and

  WHEREAS, George Gresham was born in Virginia in 1955; as a child, he
moved  to  New  York  City  where  his mother worked in homecare and his
father later became a union truck driver; and

  WHEREAS,  George  Gresham  began  his  career  in  the  housekeeping
department  at  Columbia  Presbyterian  Hospital in Manhattan; later, he
moved to the radiology department as a  clerk  after  which  he  pursued
training  through  the 1199 Training Fund to become an MRI technologist;
and

  WHEREAS, In 1975, George Gresham joined 1199SEIU as a  rank-and-file
member  and  quickly  advanced  through  the  union's  leadership ranks,
holding every elected position in the  union's  constitution,  including
member  delegate,  organizer,  vice president, executive vice president,
secretary-treasurer, and president; and

  WHEREAS, As president from  2007  until  his  resignation  in  2025,
George Gresham championed industry-leading job and benefit standards for
healthcare  workers,  securing higher wages, affordable health benefits,
dignified  retirement,  continuing  education,   childcare,   and   safe
staffing; and

  WHEREAS,  George  Gresham positioned 1199SEIU as a major progressive
force in New York State and nationally, advocating  for  social  justice
issues  such  as  access to quality healthcare, living wages, racial and
immigrant  justice,  gender  and  LGBTQI+  equality,  and  environmental
protection; and

  WHEREAS,  Beyond  healthcare, George Gresham served on the boards of
the NAACP,  Children's  Defense  Fund,  A.  Philip  Randolph  Institute,
Coalition  of  Black  Trade  Unionists,  Murphy Institute Labor Advisory
Board, Consortium for Worker  Education,  and  Partnership  for  Quality
Care; he was known for building coalitions to advance progressive causes
and  for  his  steadfast  advocacy for working people and communities of
color; and

  WHEREAS, George Gresham was a prominent American  labor  leader  and
the  long-serving  president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East,
the Nation's largest healthcare union, representing  more  than  450,000
members across multiple states; and

  WHEREAS,  Armed  with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, George Gresham leaves behind a legacy which will long endure
the passage of time and will remain as a comforting  memory  to  all  he
served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of George Gresham,  distinguished  citizen  and  devoted
member of his community; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of George Gresham.