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Following her 1981 graduation from Temple University with a Bachelor of Social Work, Michele Mills began her career helping Senior Citizens as a caseworker employed by Catholic Social Services.
In 1982, she answered a newspaper advertisement and joined District 1199C as a membership clerk where she continued her work with Senior Citizens as a coordinator for the district’s retirement division in addition to her administrative duties. The next year she took on the job of dues clerk and in 1984, President Henry Nicholas recruited her to work for six months as an organizer. Her first assignment was at an ambulance facility that went on strike and Mills became strike coordinator for an all-male staff during a 30-day work stoppage.
She continued working as an organizer and has never stopped. With a 98 percent success record, Mills has brought more than 15 new units into District 1199C.
In 1992 she became one of four vice presidents of the Hospital Division and she continued her organizing work for the district in Philadelphia and for NUHHCE in California, Indiana, New Mexico and elsewhere. She also became part of contract negotiations during this time.
In 2007, she took over as Executive Vice President of the District 1199C’s Hospital Division where her leadership duties include negotiating contracts, supervising the staff and resolving critical union issues. She has worked as an active member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, the A. Philip Randolph Institute and the Coalition of Labor Union Women.
At the November 2008 Convention Mills was elected to serve as Executive Secretary of the National Union.
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