Riko Mendez, Chief Elected Officer
Riko Mendez was raised in a small farm town in south Monterey County: Soledad, California. At an early age, Riko learned the value of hard work and the struggles of working-class people. He is the first in his immediate family to attend college. During his time at U.C. Davis, Riko became a recognized leader in the student movement by supporting immigrant rights, advocating for access to higher education for low-income and underrepresented communities and taking on the likes of the U.C. Regents. It was at U.C. Davis that Riko’s passion for the labor movement took hold. In the summer of 2000, he worked in Los Angeles as a union organizer on a campaign to unionize nursing home workers. After his experience with nursing home workers and their families, Riko decided to dedicate his career to the labor movement.
After working as a campus recruiter for the Organizing Institute, Riko was hired at SEIU Local 715 in San Jose to lead campaigns supporting workers and building community alliances. This early experience served him well as he later led local and state-wide efforts to change laws, build power, and support member leadership development as the SEIU 521 Political and Community Organizing Director for nearly 10 years. His experience at SEIU has allowed him the privilege to work in every area of SEIU 521’s jurisdiction. In 2017, Riko was elected to the SEIU 521 Chief Elected Officer (CEO) position. He has also been a member of the SEIU State Council Executive Board for over 8 years and was recently appointed to represent SEIU 521 members on the SEIU International Executive Board. In February 2022, Riko was re-elected to a 3-year term as Chief Elected Officer. Riko also serves as Treasurer-Secretary of the Child Care Providers United (CCPU), the coalition of three unions representing Child Care Providers across the State of California.
Riko is poised on continuing his work alongside union members across the State of California to build a 21st Century union that works on behalf of the working class, lifts up our communities, and continues growing for future decades.
