S.E.I.U. Labor Groups in 10 States Endorse

[Flabbergasted]

Source: NYT

S.E.I.U. Labor Groups in 10 States Endorse Edwards
By Steven Greenhouse

Not only did John Edwards receive the endorsement today of the Iowa state chapter of the service employees union, but he also has garnered the backing of nine other state chapters of the S.E.I.U, including the biggest prize of all, the S.E.I.U. council in California, which represents 650,000 workers.
Democratic officials said that Mr. Edwards would also receive the endorsements of the Service Employees International Union chapters in several other states with sizable memberships — Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon and Washington.

The S.E.I.U. is considered extremely politically active, and these 10 state councils that endorsed Mr. Edwards represent 1 million workers, or more than half its national membership.
Last week, the executive board of the national S.E.I.U. decided against endorsing anyone — a move that many saw as a disappointment for Mr. Edwards, who has aggressively courted that union. But the union’s executive board decided that the S.E.I.U.’s state councils could make their own endorsements. The Edwards camp saw that as a big plus because it expects to receive far more endorsements from S.E.I.U. state units than the other candidates will receive.

“California S.E.I.U. members know that John Edwards will be the best labor president in the history of the United States,” said Sal Rosselli, president of the biggest S.E.I.U. local in California. “His proposals are far and away the best among the candidates on the issues that matter most to working Americans.”



Read more: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/seiu-labor-groups-in-10-states-endorse-edwards/?hp

[DURHAM D]

1. I am just curious ...

Do you have any idea where I can find the gender breakdown of the members and the leadership of this union.

[Flabbergasted]

2. Calling any office would probably get you an answer.

[Ninga]

3. Congrats to John Edwards !

[flyarm]

4. i just got this email from Edwards campaign..yeah John!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2007

CONTACT:
Colleen xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx


EDWARDS WINS ENDORSEMENT OF IOWA SEIU AND NINE OTHER MAJOR STATE SEIU COUNCILS

Close to one million SEIU members choose Edwards because he has the strength and vision to win both the primary and the general election

Des Moines, Iowa – Today, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) state councils from Iowa, California, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Michigan, West Virginia, Ohio and Oregon announced they have endorsed Senator John Edwards for president, totaling close to one million SEIU members.

Representatives from several of the ten state councils joined Edwards for a press conference at the Eckstein Medical Research Building in Iowa City. The endorsements will allow these SEIU state councils, which collectively represent over 930,000 members, to organize efforts to turn out caucus goers on Edwards’ behalf within Iowa, and in any other state where the SEIU state councils have also endorsed Edwards. SEIU state councils across the country will be determining their endorsement decisions in the coming weeks.

“John Edwards is the only Democratic candidate with the vision, leadership and strength needed to win, not just the primary but also the general election,” said Dave Regan, representing the state councils of Ohio and West Virginia. “In the battleground states that I represent, Edwards’ broad appeal and strength at the top of the ticket will help Democrats in races at every level. He will help us build a true mandate that will bring real change to Washington, end the war in Iraq, bring truly universal health care, labor law and immigration reform – and these are the things that will improve the lives of working families across America.”

“As a Registered Nurse who knows first hand the need for health care reform, it's a great honor to announce that the members of SEIU Iowa have chosen to endorse John Edwards for president of the United States,” said Iowa SEIU Local 199 president Cathy Glasson. “In Iowa, we are uniquely positioned to see and hear the candidates, and members are well informed on the issues important to working families. John Edwards earned our support by taking a strong stand on health care and because he offers our members the greatest hope for restoring the American Dream.”

“California SEIU members know that John Edwards will be the best labor president in the history of the United States,” said Sal Rosselli, president of SEIU United Healthcare Workers West. “His proposals are far and away the best among the candidates on the issues that matter most to working Americans. Edwards has taken principled stands on workers’ behalf, when others took more cautious positions on issues that demand bold action.”

Added Tyrone Freeman, president of United Long Term Care Workers West, “We embrace his vision for opportunity for working people, and are proud to join his campaign of optimism, conviction and action that will bridge the divide between the two Americas. We will do everything in our power, in Iowa, California and across America to ensure that he ends up in the White House.”



“John Edwards understands the everyday struggles faced by working families across the country,” said TJ Janssen, a homecare worker from Wenatchee, Washington. “His commitment to ensuring quality affordable health care for every American is why I’m so excited to be supporting his campaign.”

The 2,000 members of the Iowa SEIU voted to endorse Edwards for the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday evening. On Friday, the membership of the California state council of the SEIU, which represents more than 656,000 working families, also voted to endorse Edwards. SEIU state councils from Washington (103,000 members), Michigan (70,000 members), Idaho (450 members), Montana (500 members), Minnesota (28,000 members), Ohio (22,000 members),West Virginia (4,000 members), and Oregon (46,000 members), also announced their endorsements on Monday.

“SEIU is at the forefront of the fight to make work pay and provide economic security to hardworking families. I have proudly stood with them on the frontlines of the fight for working Americans for years, and I am honored to earn their members’ support in each of these states today,” said Edwards. “Together, I believe we can fix the broken system in Washington that has been rigged by corporate interests, and we can make this country work for regular Americans again.”

The state SEIU endorsements bring Edwards close to the three million mark in union support. In September, Edwards earned the endorsement of the Transport Workers Union of America (200,000 active and retired members), the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (520,000 active members), the United Steelworkers (1.2 million active members and retirees), and the United Mine Workers of America (105,000 active members and retirees).

[underpants]

5. Out friggin STANDING

:bounce::party::woohoo:

[kurth]

6. Edwards is the best hope for working families

[ProudDad]

7. S.E.I.U and the CNA are about the ONLY

REAL unions left...

Most of the rest have been so seriously co-opted by the corporate capitalist masters as to be meaningless...

[ngant17]

9. unfortunately NC is a right-to-work state

and Edward's home state has a strong culture of anti-unionism.

So I sometimes wonder if he is really supporting the union idea and just what has been his past record in a state which has been so notoriously anti-union as a typical southern state is.

[NJCher]

8. this is huge

SEIU is a major, major organization. John and Elizabeth should be very pleased.



Cher

[Catchawave]

10. Chicago Tribune has the story too:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-edwards_tueoct16,1,2106798.story