The 1199SEIU League Training and Upgrading Fund (LTUF) is a left-of-center management fund operated by 1199 SEIU, one of the largest local unions of the SEIU, representing much of the Northeast United States. LTUF provides resources to union members such as training videos, healthcare resources, and child care resources. It claims to provide services that reach over 400,000 union members. ¹

LTUF engages in left-progressive advocacy alongside its union parent; it has hosted comprehensive sex education conferences and engaged in marches supporting environmentalist global warming policy at the United Nations.

History

1199SEIU League Training and Upgrading Fund was founded in 1945 in New York City as a health insurance provider for 300 union members who worked for small drugstores. The Fund gradually added to its list of provided services for union members. It has extended to providing dental care, “quality of life benefits,” childcare, and pension funds. ²

Advocacy

Environmentalism

1199SEIU League Training and Upgrading Fund organized a climate change related march in which children at its Future of America Learning Center, a daycare center for children of union members, marched alongside SEIU executives and others. The children chanted and sang songs regarding climate change and other issues. The march also brought the children in front of the United Nations Special Envoy, the branch of the UN focused on climate change-related issues. The children “were given an exclusive tour and hand-delivered climate-focused artwork and banners they created themselves,” according to the organization. The children attending the march were all under five years old. ³

LGBT Interests

The LTUF has broadly advocated for LGBT issues through multiple forms of advocacy. Notably, the organization has hosted a conference in 2012 titled the “Let’s Talk About Sex!” conference, in New York City. The conference was focused on “sexuality and social issues,” covering such topics as sexual addiction, sexual trauma, LGBT issues, and sexual identity. As part of the conference, participants and members of the 1199SEIU took part in a “role play” exercise, aiming to address issues such as “children with sexualized behavior,” substance abuse, and sexual dysfunction and addiction. ⁴

People

Vivian Fox is the director for the child-care programs of LTUF. She also works for the 1199SEIU Child Care Corporation. Fox previously worked as the executive director for the YWCA of New York City, a left-of-center organization which advocates for issues such as race-specific advocacy, women’s and LGBT issues, and voter registration and redistricting to benefit liberals and left-progressives. Fox has also worked in consultant positions for the Ford Foundation, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, both large left-of-center grantmaking organizations. ⁵

Sandi Vito is the executive director for LTUF. She previously worked in state government as the Acting Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry in the administration of Gov. Ed Rendell (D). Vito was cited in 2009 for public drunkenness after police were called to a hotel bar where Vito was discovered by officers to be extremely intoxicated. According to officers, she yelled obscenities and was too intoxicated to sign the citation she received. Vito pleaded guilty to public drunkenness and paid a $200 fine. ⁶

Finances

LTUF reported a revenue of $72,411,930 in 2018. The organization received all of its revenue in that year from employee contributions and related organizations. ⁷

1. “Benefits Home.” 1199SEIU Funds. Accessed August 18, 2020. https://www.1199seiubenefits.org/.
2. “History and Accomplishments.” 1199 SEIU LTUF. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.1199seiubenefits.org/about-1199seiu-funds/who-we-are/history-and-accomplishments/.
3. “FALC Kids Take a stand against climate change.” 1199SEIU LTUF. Accessed August 28, 2020.  https://www.1199seiubenefits.org/news/falc-climate-change-awareness/.
4. “Let’s Talk About Sex Annual Conference.” 1199 SEIU. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.naswnyc.org/resource/resmgr/imported/Sexuality%20and%20Social%20Issues%20Brochure.pdf.
5. “Vivian Fox Profile.” SEIU Benefits. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.1199seiubenefits.org/vivian-fox/.
6. “Acting Labor/Industry Secretary Sandi Vito Pleads Guilty to Public Drunkenness.” Penn-Live. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/2009/04/actin_li_secretary_sandi_vito.html.
7. IRS 990 Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax: 1199SEIU League Training and Upgrading Fund. Accessed August 20, 2020. Part I Summary.