President Genie Kastrup
Genie Kastrup broke the glass ceiling in March 2023 by becoming the first woman President in Local 1's 100-year history! Genie has made countless contributions to the labor movement and played an instrumental role in framing the union's political strategy for the last decade. Throughout her 20-plus-year career, Genie has led efforts to increase SEIU Local 1’s membership, create independent political power throughout the Midwest and win for working families both in the workplace and in their communities.
Before becoming SEIU Local 1's President, Genie served as the Executive Vice President under President Emeritus Tom Balanoff and was formerly a Local 1 Vice President, Chief of Staff and Political Director. She oversaw the day-to-day operation of Local 1 while spearheading significant change within the organization to build a more powerful, inclusive, and transformational union for members. Genie has helped strategize numerous breakthrough campaigns throughout the Local, assisting non-organized workers in winning power in their workplace and unionized workers in gaining deeper job protections and significant raises.
Most recently, President Kastrup was awarded the 2024 Outstanding Achievement in Workforce and Labor Award by the Office of Illinois State Treasurer. In April 2023, President Kastrup was appointed to the Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson’s transition team serving as the Co-Chairperson of the Immigration Subcommittee. As the Co-Chair, Kastrup advised the administration on how we strengthen and invest in Chicago to ensure it is a true sanctuary city for immigrant families. In June of 2022, President Kastrup was elected to the SEIU International Executive Board — the highest serving body in SEIU serving 2.1 million working people across the world.
In addition to her role as President of SEIU Local 1, Genie serves as Vice President of the SEIU Illinois State Council. She is a member of SEIU International's Division Labor Board within SEIU's Property Services Division — a group that helps coordinate national strategy and work among the janitorial, security, and airport industries.
Before joining SEIU Local 1, Genie spent a decade with the SEIU Illinois State Council, the union's political arm in Illinois, where she led efforts to help elect then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama to the White House; her first day on the job, the State Council endorsed Senator Obama for President in 2008. She also played a crucial role in running a massive early vote campaign for Black and Latino voters in Northwest Indiana, which led to President Obama carrying the state of Indiana. This was a historic victory and the first time a Democrat won the state since 1964.
Genie was also instrumental in SEIU Local 1’s municipal electoral strategy, transforming the Chicago City Council by electing 10 new alderpersons who helped form the Chicago Progressive Caucus. Before this work, Genie worked for SEIU in Pittsburgh, PA, to elect members to political office.
Genie graduated with a degree in Political Science and Print Journalism from Western Kentucky University. Before her work at SEIU, she traveled the country working to elect a broad scope of progressive candidates ranging from mayors to congressional representatives, from rural communities to urban centers. Through this work, she realized the way to make real change in people's lives was not through elected officials but through the collective power of the working people in their unions.