Emanuel ‘Manny’ Pastreich, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 32BJ, has appointed Ana Maria Hill as the new New Jersey State Director. Hill, who has been with the union for over a decade, is the first Latina to hold this title.
“Ana Maria Hill is a dedicated, brilliant, and passionate leader within our union who has played a key role in growing 32BJ’s presence in New Jersey,” said Pastreich.
“Over her 10 years with 32BJ, she has earned the respect and trust of the New Jersey District Office staff and her colleagues across the union,” said Pastreich. “As the Deputy State Director, she led several key campaigns, including securing one of the strongest contracts that commercial cleaners have seen in New Jersey in 2023. We turn to Ana Maria’s expertise to lead 32BJ’s mission to double the union’s membership in the Garden State in the next 10 years, champion strong and fair contracts for its thousands of members, and organize non-union workers.”
SEIU 32BJ is one of the largest labor unions in the country, representing almost 1.9 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States and Canada. The union focuses on organizing workers in three main sectors: healthcare, public services, and property services.
Hill has worked in various departments in New York and New Jersey, culminating in her current role as New Jersey State Director. The labor union represents over 15,000 janitorial workers, security officers, airport workers, residential porters, K-12 cafeteria personnel, and custodial workers throughout New Jersey.
“I am so proud to carry on 32BJ’s incredible work in New Jersey,” Hill said. “From the passage of a state-wide worker retention bill to winning historic contracts for our members, 32BJ has been at the forefront of building worker power across the Garden State. I’m thrilled to take on this new role and can’t wait to continue 32BJ’s incredible growth in New Jersey. I am grateful for the opportunity to fight for all working people in this state, regardless of union affiliation, alongside President Pastreich and his team, and stand on the shoulders of so many incredible women leaders in our great union.”
The daughter of immigrants from Latin America, Hill grew up in a household where the goal was to achieve the American Dream, but the daily struggle was to place food on the table.
At Barnard College she became dedicated to improving the quality of life of working families in New York and gradually came to realize that one solution could be the labor movement. As an Urban Studies major with a concentration in Sociology, she took courses that examined different aspects of living in urban America, including healthcare, politics, education, and social movements.
While conducting fieldwork for her thesis on immigrants achieving workplace justice, she helped undocumented immigrants find their voice in the workplace through education, collective action, and mobilization.
Soon after graduating from Barnard, she interned in the political department of 32BJ SEIU, and she was hired by the union as a public relations and communications assistant.
SEIU 32BJ is known for its political activism and advocacy for building service workers. It represents over 170,000 property service workers and is part of several campaigns, including Justice for Janitors and Stand for Security.
Kevin Brown, the longtime New Jersey State Director of 32BJ SEIU, is moving on to “other projects” while remaining the Executive Vice President of the union, according to spokesperson Rush Perez. Brown has been a pivotal figure in the trade union movement since 1987, helping to organize thousands of workers across various states and significantly improving working conditions and contracts for union members in New Jersey.
Brown’s tenure saw commercial cleaners’ median annual salaries increase to $38,000 and security officers’ salaries rise to $17/hour by 2025, with continued healthcare benefits and enhanced justice protections. He played a crucial role in the passing of the Healthy Terminals Act, ensuring health insurance for all Newark Airport Workers.
As SEIU 32BJ continues to expand under Hill’s leadership, the union aims to double its membership in New Jersey over the next decade, build stronger contracts, and organize non-union workers, maintaining its commitment to improving the lives of all working people in the state.