SEIU 2007 Member Political Action Conference

Workers Kick Off Largest Political Action Conference in SEIU History;
Close to 2,000 Members Unite to Win

SEIU President Andy Stern on Sept. 16th kicked off SEIU's Member Political Action Conference, a major milestone on the road to victory in the 2008 presidential elections.

Stern spoke about the need to elect a pro-worker president, but—equally importantly—about the need for working people to be a force for creating a new American Dream. Read what he said.

SEIU Executive Vice President Tom Woodruff spoke about the rising inequality between workers and wealthy CEOs, and the intimidation and harassment that workers routinely face when they try to form a union. He emphasized the need to elect candidates who'll change the rules to level the playing field for workers. Read a full summary of what he said.

The members wrapped up the day with a lively discussion about which issues should be top priorities for the next president.

Read Andy Stern’s blog post about SEIU members’ role in and impact on the presidential elections, and read SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger's post about how politics changes peoples' lives.

SEIU Members Welcome Presidential Candidates to Political Action Conference

On day two of SEIU’s Member Political Action Conference, close to 2,000 SEIU members exhibited more of their energy and commitment to making sure presidential candidates understand the struggles working people face today. Both in small groups and large, they spoke with and heard from five presidential candidates: Senator Dodd; Senator Obama; Governor Richardson; Senator Clinton; and Senator Edwards. Check out photos.

Each candidate, who recently took hours out of his/her busy campaign schedule to “walk a day in the shoes” of one SEIU member, both on the job and at home, was introduced by that member. Visit WalkADayInMyShoes2008.com to see videos, photos, and more from each of those in-depth events.

SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger also addressed the workers, urging them to continue to speak up and ensure that their vision and agenda for how America should be run is heard before, on, and after Election Day. Read her remarks. Plus, check out her blog post.

- Read Washington Post coverage.

SEIU Members Paint the Capitol Purple

As part of SEIU’s Member Political Action Conference on Sept. 18th, SEIU members appealed to Congress and President Bush to get our country’s priorities straight.

With signs and shouts of “Money for Healthcare, Not War!” they rallied on Capitol Hill for urgently-needed funding for children’s healthcare through the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), set to expire at the end of this month. With their children beside them, they delivered one million signed petitions in red wagons and large purple sacks to elected officials present.

The members also held meetings with their Senators and members of Congress on a wide range of issues, including nurse staffing, immigration, the war in Iraq, and the right of workers to choose to form a union without interference from employers.

Later in the day, they regrouped to discuss ways to further hold local and national politicians accountable to working people, and to map out the steps needed to win for workers in the 2008 elections.