Issued November 17, 2015
VIDEO: Watch SEIU members speak about why they support Hillary Clinton
Detroit, MI- After members conducted a rigorous endorsement process for the past several months, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) today endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, calling her a leader who will stand up for the working moms and dads building a movement to secure a better future for their families.
“The members of SEIU Healthcare Michigan are proud to support Hillary Clinton for president,” said Marge Robinson, RN and president of SEIU Healthcare Michigan. “We are concerned about the same things as people across the country: earning a fair wage for a fair day’s work and the ability to take care of and provide a better life for our families. We cannot afford four years of policies that will hurt working families while lining the pockets of big corporations.”
SEIU’s national member engagement process included a 1,200-member conference in March, three national tele-town hall meetings in which more than 80,000 members participated, three national member polls from the fall of 2014 through the fall of 2015 and more than 200 local executive board debates and discussions with thousands of local union officers and elected member-leaders.
Hillary Clinton will fight to raise wages and has stood up for the rights of workers to join together in a union. She has spoken out in support of the Fight for $15 movement: on the movement’s April 15 national day of action, during the New York wage board fight that resulted in $15 for all fast food workers in the state, for the $15 victories in Los Angeles city and county and again just last week, on Nov. 10, during the biggest day of action yet.
Clinton has recognized the value of care work in our nation, particularly the home care providers and child care teachers who help educate our future generations and allow our seniors and those with disabilities to live with dignity at home. In many places, these workers earn poverty wages with no sick or vacation time and few if any benefits.
“Hillary Clinton supports working people who are trying to provide a good life for their families,” said Tam Maxwell, RN of Cadillac, a registered nurse and member of SEIU Healthcare Michigan. “She stands with us on the issues that matter to our families the most.”
Clinton is also a leader on the core issues SEIU members care about in this election, including fighting for common sense immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship, standing up for voting rights and criminal justice reform that prioritizes ending mass incarceration and supporting and strengthening the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Clinton in 1994 worked to ensure coverage for all. SEIU members know she will fight hard to strengthen the ACA so we never go backward.
“Hillary Clinton has proven she will fight, deliver and win for working families,” said SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry. “SEIU members and working families across America are part of a growing movement to build a better future for their families, and Hillary Clinton will support and stand with them. This movement for economic, racial, immigrant and social justice is poised to turn out to vote in November with their families and communities and keep pushing elected officials to deliver once in office.”
SEIU’s 2 million members will join hands with community partners in a broad movement for economic, social, immigrant and racial justice. Along with the 64 million people who work at jobs paying poverty-level wages, they will be a powerful force during the 2016 elections. Hundreds of thousands of face-to-face and door-to-door contacts, millions of phone calls, robust digital engagement and other activities to get out the vote will counteract the efforts of billionaires and corporations to elect leaders who would answer only to the wealthy few.