5/20/2013
By Ivan Pereira
The city’s largest union threw its weight behind Democrat Bill de Blasio’s run for mayor Monday.
George Gresham, the president of 1199 SEIU, which represents 200,000 hospital and health care workers, said the city’s public advocate had the strongest vision for creating jobs among all of the candidates.
“Bill is not afraid to say that too many New Yorkers are being left behind and ignored by City Hall,” he said in a statement.
De Blasio, who was joined by several union members at the steps of City Hall for the announcement, promised to fight for their needs.
“We need a mayor who is not afraid to ask the rich to pay a little more for early education . . . and to fight until we have a real living wage,” he said in a statement.
