Shirley Young, 1199SEIU Member

Last Monday, I was invited to the White House Summit for Working Families conference. I never dreamed that I would be having lunch with the President.

Waking up that morning in Washington D.C. for the Summit; I began to get ready for the day’s activities. There was a great line-up of speakers for the day including White House leaders and high profile advocates for families like mine. I had been approached by White House staff members and asked if I would be available during the summit to have lunch with a special guest and three other summit attendees. Midday, we were taken into an alcove by White House Staff to wait for our special lunch guest. A few minutes later we were told: “You will be having lunch with the President”.

I was in shock. “Me? Having lunch with the President?!” I began to tear up at one point –this is a leader who has continued to fight and stand up for my family!

A few moments later, the President walked in. He went to each of us in the group, introducing himself and shaking our hands. I was the last one in our line waiting to greet him. When he came up to me I said “Mr. President, I am sorry, but I can’t just shake your hand – can I give you a hug?” We hugged and began our walk to Chipotle where we would be having lunch together.

We walked in, ordered our food and sat down. President Obama began talking with each of us – very personally - knowing our stories and why we were attending the summit. The President was very down to earth – it was like I was talking to a friend. Only, this friend, was the leader of our country. A man who has already created great change for families like mine and knows the importance of having comprehensive healthcare. I shared my family’s story with the President--about our struggles and how without my benefits through 1199SEIU, my family would not be here today.

My son was born with scoliosis and had an 85% curvature in his spine. This was a real hardship for us because my husband was not able to take any time off to help me care for our new baby. As a Certified Nursing Assistant, I made $32,000 after taxes and our medical bills were $60,000 for our son’s birth. How was I supposed to be able to pay for such a surgery on my salary? What saved me was being an 1199SEIU member. My medical bills were covered under my health benefits. Not everyone is this blessed. I told the President that my benefits as an 1199SEIU member were vital to ensuring my family stays healthy and if they were taken away I didn’t know where we would be today.

The President agreed with me and we continued our talks about the importance of coverage for families. Until, we both realized, I was now standing at the side of the stage where he was about to step on to speak at the summit. We were so engrossed in our conversation, the rest of the group had left and it was just me, the President and his secret service, awaiting his cue to come on stage. I was slightly embarrassed, but felt like my story, my family was just as important to the President as anything else he would hear that day.

As I sat in the audience and heard the President come on the stage to speak, I began to hear a familiar story. Then it hit me: he was talking about me.

And that’s when I realized, my lunch with the President – my story, my family and my Union – had made a difference.

“Shirley Young from New York works at a nursing home. Her children are grown up now. she was most interested in talking about the fact that when her son -- it was discovered had curvature of the spine, that she had health care that she could count on. Otherwise, there was no way that she could afford it. And her benefits on the job were good enough that she could use her vacation time when he had to go to the doctor.

Part of the purpose of this summit is to make clear you’re not alone. Because here’s the thing: These problems are not typically the result of poor planning or too little diligence on the parts of moms or dads, and they cannot just be fixed by working harder or being an even better parent. All too often, they are the results of outdated policies and old ways of thinking. Family leave, childcare, workplace flexibility, a decent wage -- these are not frills, they are basic needs. They shouldn’t be bonuses. They should be part of our bottom line as a society. That’s what we’re striving for.”