Dernell George

Dernell George is an RPN at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto and she helped facilitate the organizing your workplace stream at the Summer Academy. Dernell is on the Nursing Division Executive Board and she is one of the members of the SEIU Healthcare WAVE Training Program.

“Helping to facilitate during the Summer Academy was a great opportunity to build my leadership skills and I really enjoyed connecting with so many members,” says Dernell. “I loved talking to my SEIU Healthcare brothers and sisters about their workplace issues. Since we all work in healthcare, we really can relate to one another.”

Dernell was happy to see so many new faces at this year’s program. She says this is a good sign that SEIU Healthcare is hard at work. It is also an indicator that people are starting to understand the value of getting involved with their union.

“New member engagement is key for hearing new ideas, new concerns that need to be addressed, and new dreams to be achieved,” says Dernell.

Dernell is passionate about pushing back against inequalities and injustices in her workplace. SEIU Healthcare, she says, has provided her with so many tools and tactics to take action.

She is always telling people about the power of the union. She lets her fellow nurses know about Professional Liability Protection (PLP) Insurance, a free form of liability insurance offered by SEIU Healthcare. She lets all members know about the SEIU Savings programs, scholarship opportunities for members’ children, events, educational programs, our political activism, and much more.

“I want people to know that SEIU Healthcare is not only there for you in times of grievances or disciplines, which they are, but it is so much more than that,” says Dernell.