The healthcare workers and staff of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East mourn the loss of Mr. John Robert Reid, Jr., who passed away on August 31, 2015 surrounded by many of his closest family and friends. A strong and deeply respected leader in the labor movement, we will remember John as a champion for working people and social justice, whose legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched.John’s vast and substantive career began when he was drafted into the United States Army at age 18. He served in the Vietnam War, and due to an injury was honorably discharged and awarded a Purple Heart. In 1975, John began work as a Psychiatric Technician at Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University. His talent for healthcare and passion for civil rights led him to become a union organizer for Philadelphia-area hospitals in 1979. For the next 26 years, he served as a Vice President and then Executive Vice President in various areas throughout 1199. In 2005, John Reid relocated from New York City to Baltimore, Maryland, to take on the challenge of uniting the city’s healthcare workers together in a union. John built bridges through his work, and fostered important relationships between the union and the area’s most influential healthcare employers. He worked tirelessly to expand 1199SEIU’s spirit of partnership and political action to help solve the problems brought on by our nation’s economic and healthcare crises. John oversaw the union’s efforts to expand healthcare access for thousands of Maryland residents, raise wages and improve benefits for hardworking families, and bring good jobs to the Maryland-D.C. region. Among John’s many notable achievements was the implementation of a joint labor-management education fund for union members. He also led the fight for an historic union contract at Johns Hopkins Hospital, raising standards for healthcare workers in Baltimore and throughout the state. In December 2014, John retired from 1199SEIU after 39 years advocating for workers in the labor movement.John Reid’s visionary leadership helped improve the lives of countless healthcare workers and working families from New York to Washington, D.C. He was known for his tough military style, but he truly had a heart of gold. He is survived by his mother; his partner, Kristine Simms; his two daughters; a son-in-law; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and myriad family, friends, and loved ones. “As we mourn his passing, we also celebrate his life. We are blessed to have known John’s energy, talent and love for as long as we did,” said 1199SEIU President George Gresham. “Those who knew him will remember him by his motto, ‘Standing tall and looking good; you ought to be in Hollywood.’ And truly, John Reid was large in stature, and even larger in his spirit.”- See more at: http://www.1199seiu.org/johnreid#sthash.EXIRt4t0.dpuf