Governor Hochul Directs State Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of Former 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East President George Gresham

Governor Kathy Hochul today directed flags to be lowered at half-staff to honor the life and public service of former 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East President George Gresham who passed away on Friday, May 8, at the age of 71 after a long illness. Flags will be lowered from sunrise to sunset tomorrow, June 9. Governor Hochul also directed state landmarks to be lit purple on June 9 in honor of George’s legacy of social justice and fighting for labor.

“From his start as a hospital worker to leading 1199SEIU, George Gresham was a legendary labor leader who never stopped fighting for working people, communities of color, and the dignity every New Yorker deserves,” Governor Hochul said. “His voice helped shape New York’s labor movement and strengthen the rights of healthcare workers across our state. My prayers are with his family, loved ones, and the entire 1199SEIU family. May he rest in peace.”

The following 14 landmarks will be illuminated purple tomorrow evening:

• One World Trade Center
• Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
• Kosciuszko Bridge
• The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
• Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
• Empire State Plaza
• State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
• The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
• Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct
• Albany International Airport Gateway
• MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station
• Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
• Moynihan Train Hall
• Roosevelt Island Lighthouse