Member Political Organizers (MPOs) for 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East have long played an important role in mobilizing union members during election season and reinforcing how politics plays a direct and dramatic role in the quality of healthcare workers’ jobs, lives and communities.

In this 2026 election year, with Floridians facing an unprecedented affordability crisis, attacks on our hard-working immigrant communities and a multitude of other critical challenges, the 1199SEIU Florida MPO team has been bolstered by new members inspired to activism by their own experiences and the struggles of their co-workers and community members.

MPO Ailia Butler has a full-time position as a surgical technician in a major Saint Petersburg hospital, but needs to work an additional job as a home health aide with her CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) skills to make ends meet.

“The cost of living in Tampa has risen so high that you need to rob Peter to pay Paul,” she says, including helping support her four young adult children struggling with high bills and jobs that don’t pay enough.

MPO Anthony Konger has been a healthcare worker in Pasco County for about 15 years and currently is a monitor tech in one of the region’s biggest hospitals. He became an MPO to help educate himself and others on how elections directly impact important issues such as earning a living wage and safe staffing. He also has become active with 1199SEIU as a member of the Labor-Management Committee and Bargaining Committee because he has seen how workers standing up together in a union have a stronger voice.

In his previous job without a union, workers were always “walking on eggshells” and lacked a strong voice in the workplace to fight for raises and other benefits. “And today, even out in Pasco County where you think cost of living should be low, prices have skyrocketed. It takes extra shifts and two salaries to make rent, let alone all the other bills, when it used to take one.”

MPO Avazindia Debose is a central service tech at a flagship teaching hospital in Miami. She is excited about serving as an MPO to connect union and community members together in a common cause of uplifting working people. As a high school student, she originally planned to study and pursue a career in political science before entering the healthcare field, so the MPO role fulfills those goals and matches her talents.

“And it’s more impactful than merely studying politics, because I’m moving the needle in a concrete, hands-on way with real-life issues.” She points to educating members about Florida Constitutional Amendment 3 on this year’s ballot. “This is another Tallahassee trick to benefit billionaires and big business while we pay more, so we need to vote NO on Amendment 3.”

MPO Marvalin McKoy is a CNA at a Central Florida nursing home, caring for our most elderly, frail and/or vulnerable family members and loved ones. She says it’s an important and difficult job, but with low pay and worsening conditions as politicians cut staffing standards so companies can increase their profits.

The experienced CNA believes this is not a coincidence as a large percentage of caregivers come from other countries. “The injustice and lack of respect especially for our immigrant communities from the White House and Tallahassee is so upsetting. It has made me angry but also inspired me to become an MPO. When you think about the people before us who fought and died for the right to vote, we all need to use that right and elect leaders who will fight for us, not billionaires.”

The full 1199SEIU Florida MPO team, with a dozen members, has been leading a blitz of get-out-the-vote activities, including screening and endorsing candidates who have pledged to stand with working Floridians.

“Our MPOs have done a fantastic job of energizing our union members in this critical election,” said Coy Jones, 1199SEIU Florida Political Director. “We’re fortunate to have such a dedicated and talented team, because workers going to the polls in overwhelming numbers is the only way we will build a better Florida for our families and communities.”

Early voting is already underway for the November 3 election. Union members can find endorsed candidates and other important voting information at www.1199votes.org.