It's not often we get to bring you news of workers organizing to have a voice at work on such a large scale -- but today is one of those days! 13,00 home care attendants in Missouri's consumer directed home care program have voted to join the Missouri Home Care Union, a statewide union of home care attendants that's a joint local of AFSCME and SEIU.

The vote passed by a landslide margin of 85% "Yes" to 15% "No," and the election was conducted by the state Board of Mediation and was the largest of its kind in Missouri history.

In spite of the fact that home-based care is more cost-effective than institutional or nursing home care, many of the consumers in the state struggle to keep caregivers on the job--40-60% of attendants leave their positions every year. The central reason for this is that many home care attendants simply can't afford to stay at their jobs and take care of their families because they don't have health insurance benefits, sick days or vacation time.

With the number of elderly Missourians expected to rise more than 70 percent in the next twenty years, the demand for home care services will skyrocket. Which makes investing in the creation of good home care jobs to help build a stable workforce that will be able to ensure older Missourians can remain in the setting they prefer, their homes, is more important than ever.

"The next step is to join forces with consumers to make home care better and available to more Missourians," said Salem attendant Theresa Bach. Read more here.

Al Franken, like many ex-performers, knows when to arrive at stage right at the critical moment of a new play. Six months into the new Obama administration as we now get ready to pass for the first time in 223 years, a healthcare bill and in the coming months, the Employee Free Choice Act, Sen. Al Franken's presence and strong leadership in the Senate couldn't have come at a better time.

"He may have been a little slow in getting here, but we'll excuse him because he has a lot of catching up to do," joked Andy Stern, congratulating the newly-seated U.S. Senator of Minnesota on his victory last week at a rooftop reception held at SEIU's headquarters in the Senator's honor to welcome him to Washington, DC. Also on hand to welcome Sen. Franken to Washington, DC were fellow Senator Amy Klobuchar and SEIU members, staff, and leaders.

Upon his arrival to the reception, Sen. Franken had some warm words of praise for SEIU and the efforts the union made on his behalf during his campaign:

"What an amazing asset to America Andy Stern--and the SEIU--is. Andy has been right at the front of the healthcare debate for years, and [addressing Andy] I want to thank you for that work. I also want to thank Anna Burger and the members and leaders of SEIU..."

Being the strong supporter of workers' freedom to form unions and bargain that he is, Franken--who is a member of four unions!--also expressed gratitude for the opportunities and security being a union member has provided him, wife Franni and his family:

[...] I'm a member of four unions. If it weren't for unions, Franni and I wouldn't have [had] healthcare for the last three years.

The Senator for Minnesota also discussed his plans for the working people of this country, now that he's finally been seated [Franken's first legislative act as Senator was to co-sponsor the Employee Free Choice Act].

Now that I'm in the Senate, I guess I get their healthcare....and that's the healthcare that every American should get.

We're going to do that. I'm on the HELP committee, and we're going to do that. It's the first thing we're going to do. And we're going to do just a lot of great stuff...we're going to pass EFCA. We're going to make sure people have a level playing field to organize. We're going to create jobs in this country, and renewable energy...We need to do all these things--and I know we can. There are so many great possibilities ahead of this country. Our best days are yet to come. And I'm just so proud to be a member of the Senate.

Every single person who supported Franken by going out and voting for him made a big difference in the outcome of Minnesota's extremely close election, which, as Sen. Franken pointed out, he only "won by 312 votes...It was a really close election!"

"Through this union, ordinary people get to do extraordinary things--like elect Al Franken," said SEIU President Andy Stern.

UPDATE, 4:00 p.m.: Former Sen. Norm Coleman announces his concession. Al Franken will be the next senator from Minnesota!

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that Al Franken won the state's U.S. Senate election last November against incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.). "During the election, Senator-elect Franken made clear he will work hard to rebuild our economy through real healthcare reform and the Employee Free Choice Act, as well as tackling the long-term challenges we face on the environment, keeping college education affordable and fixing our broken immigration system," said SEIU's Anna Burger.

Today's decision begins the last chapter in a story that began almost two years ago, when then-candidate Al Franken participated in SEIU's Walk a Day In My Shoes program, becoming the first Senate candidate to do so. Watch the video of Franken's WAD with SEIU member and nursing home worker Ulysses Bridges in Minnesota.

Timing matters and it's well past the time for Minnesota to recognize Al Franken as the duly elected Senator from Minnesota--and send him to Washington. "Minnesotans took the time to conduct an extensive and thorough recount process, but now that all reasonable legal options have been exhausted, Minnesota deserves its full representation in Congress," said Burger. "We call on Governor Pawlenty to pursue the state's best interests and end this contest instead of favoring those who would allow the recount to continue for purely partisan reasons."

On Friday, after two weeks of vigorous campaigning, 10,000 Fresno County home care workers voted to stand united with SEIU UHW. The ballots were counted by the federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. "Their votes speak loudly that SEIU UHW members want a strong, united union so that together they can build a better future for themselves and the consumers they serve," said SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina.

Read more about the election victory.

In an incredible piece of news that's been a long time coming....workers at Smithfield Tar Heel in North Carolina, the world's largest meatpacking plant, voted for union representation on Thursday with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

Take a look:

While Smithfield has repeatedly engaged in typical unionbusting activities during the organizing effort, one startling event stands out: Violence erupted immediately after the 1997 union election. At the Tar Heel plant, Smithfield operates its own armed police force with the authority to arrest and detain workers on its property. Although federal labor law says workers have the right to participate in a union election free from fear, coercion, and intimidation, this company police force--heavily armed and dressed in riot gear--surrounded the plant on the day of the election. After the vote count, union supporters were physically assaulted and falsely arrested by the Bladen County Sheriff's Deputies, who were called in by the company to supplement its own private police force.

Even as Smithfield workers won this election, it's taken 15 years to get to this point after unprecedented intimidation - and they still have to negotiate a contract. With the Employee Free Choice Act, the workers' choice would've been recognized as early as 1994, and they'd have a contract for better wages and benefits.

Congratulations to Smithfield workers who persisted in seeking a voice at work in the face of unbelievable opposition from management. With the Employee Free Choice Act, more workers like them can enjoy better wages benefits and job securities.

Read AP's coverage of the victory here. Local NC paper The News & Observer's news coverage here.

The Wall Street Journal published an extensive interview with SEIU President Andy Stern this weekend --

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Let's 'Share the Wealth'

America's most powerful union boss says Europe offers a good economic model.

The Wall Street Journal
OPINION: THE WEEKEND INTERVIEW WITH ANDY STERN
By Matthew Kaminski

"We just won an election. It's no secret." By "we," Andy Stern means "American workers." He also means Big Labor. Speaking on behalf of the fastest growing trade group in America, the Service Employees International Union -- and as one of labor's most powerful figures today -- Mr. Stern sets this simple bar for the Obama presidency: "I expect nothing less than what he said he was going to do, and we should hold him accountable."

From his perspective -- atop SEIU's Washington headquarters, which offers an enviable view of the National Cathedral -- the first part is straightforward: "Massive investment" in a stimulus for the economy, the car industry, deficit-ridden states and infrastructure. Then universal health care, an issue on which the SEIU boss helped push the Democratic consensus leftward, and "tax cuts for the middle class" (and hikes for the upper bracketed). At the end of his list, Mr. Stern puts something particularly dear to unions: Quick adoption of the Employee Free Choice Act, commonly known as "card check," which would end secret ballots in union elections.

The bit about accountability is no idle warning. Organized labor put up some $450 million to get Democrats elected. The SEIU accounted for $85 million of that, making Mr. Stern's union the single biggest contributor to either party in this election cycle. And just in case, the SEIU set aside an additional $10 million fund to get people unelected if need be. "We would like to make sure people appreciate that we take them at their word and when they don't live up to their word there should be consequences," he says.

>> Read the rest of the Wall Street Journal's weekend interview with Andy Stern.

We did it.

Together, we knocked doors, called voters, and helped move millions of
Americans to the polls for President-Elect Barack Obama.

While we celebrate, too many Americans still can't afford the most basic,
life-saving health care for themselves and their families.

Electing Barack Obama was just the first step. Now we need to turn our hope
into change. As President-elect Obama said, "This victory alone is not the
change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change."

You must know people who worked to get Barack Obama elected. Can you ask
them to take the next step and pledge to join the movement for healthcare
for all by putting their name on the map?

We're building a national movement. It's made up of all kinds of people from all walks of life - online and offline - committed to fixing healthcare.

We're holding Congress accountable.

We'll target key members of Congress who side with insurance companies and
obstruct solving this crisis.

We'll push back against smear campaigns that distort the facts about
Barack Obama's health care plan.

And we'll translate our enthusiasm into meaningful opportunities for
participation offline as well.

Will you join me in reaching out to all those people who voted for real
change and ask them to keep health care on the map in 2009?

action.seiu.org/healthcaremap/forward