Celia A. Wcislo was recently elected the Assistant Division Director of the Massachusetts Division of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, representing 11,000 health care workers in Massachusetts and over 260,000 in nearby states. She has served as the President of SEIU Local 285/220 since 1981. Ms. Wcislo has campaigned steadily for broader health care access and improved wages and working conditions for health care workers.

While employed as a clerical worker at Boston City Hospital in the 1970’s, Ms. Wcislo became involved in union activities, organizing democratic elections for union leadership positions. By helping to organize the 1980 strike at Boston City Hospital, Ms. Wcislo was instrumental in earning layoff rights for public workers.

Ms. Wcislo graduated from the Harvard Trade Union Program in 1984, and received her degree in Labor Studies from UMass-Boston several years later. She is also a founding member of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization.