Ralph Boyd

Custodian, Knowles Home

Ralph Boyd is new to the labor movement and to his own job as a custodian at the Knowles Home, which is the city's assisted living facility.  Ralph once worked as a radio announcer, which helps him communicate with his co-workers about the union and what its goals are.

"I didn't know anything about unions or the labor movement until I signed a union card at the Knowles Home," Boyd says.  "Now I get it.   The Union isn’t the people in the union office—it’s me and my co-workers. The only way we’re going to get what we deserve in bargaining is to get more members, get organized, and stand together for what’s fair.”

Ralph's energy and enthusiasm for helping his union co-workers is unmatched.  He has phonebanked for candidates (using his signature "radio voice"), he's turned out for rallies and direct actions, and he attended his first local Convention, serving as a delegate representing the Metro Hospital Authority (MHA) chapter.  "The convention was great," Ralph says.  "I finally got to see all the other SEIU members from across the county and the whole state.  It's amazing how much I have in common with these people - even though they do different work than I do or live in a different city.  We're all in this together and I plan to keep on volunteering my time to help the cause of working people as much as I can".