Yesterday, as bailout bank CEOs entered the Rayburn House building to testify before Congresson how they used bailout funds, they were greeted by the playful chants and clever signs of SEIU members.

We've put together a short video of the demonstration - and managed to capture the thoughts of both the members participating and concerned citizens who were lined up to watch the hearing.

Take a look here:

And enjoy these photos of the event:

Pictured, from left to right: Theo Jackson, Mike Kingsbury, Dana Graham, Thurman Johnson, Toni Piechowski, Cheryl Moon, Jerry Thompson, Rebia Mixon.

Nine SEIU members and workers from key states across the country have relocated to Washington, DC for a three-month long stint as a grassroots lobbyist on Capitol Hill.

This week, members are heading to Congressional offices to represent the working people in their state, and impress upon staff the importance of the economic stimulus bill (which is currently in conference). They also praised legislators for passing SCHIP and the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act with cards and personal face-to-face thank you's.

The current cohort of SEIU member lobbyists will be followed by a second wave this summer, continuing through August. Each member will be speaking to lawmakers about creating change that works for their families and communities--affordable healthcare for all, the freedom to form a union, and an economy that works for everyone--not just those at the top.

Each of these people have traveled far from their homes and their families to tell their story. Whether they were fired for trying to form a union, have recently retired, or struggle to afford healthcare for themselves or their families, these workers are sharing their stories so that Members of Congress understand what it's like to be a worker today. We'd like to introduce you to a few of these wonderful people each week, starting with Theo Jackson and Mike Kingsbury.

Mike Kingsbury is an RN hailing from Denver, Colorado and will be one of our regular guest bloggers. He's been an active member of the Nurse Alliance of Colorado for many years and also worked with SEIU on the Obama campaign.

Theo Jackson was a dedicated case manager--and a two-time Employee of the Month--at a substance abuse recovery center in Scotts Valley, CA before being fired for trying to form a union with SEIU Local 521. Theo's wrongful firing case is currently pending before the NLRB, and he is helping his colleagues continue to fight for a first contract. He was one of five workers to share his story last week at the Employee Free Choice Act rally on the Hill to urge Congress to support the legislation.

As our member lobbyists head inside the gilded halls of Congress each day and meet with key legislative staff and attend Hill briefings, hearings and demonstrations, they'll be capturing their experiences on video and in blog posts.

Stay tuned for updates, as our members report to us on what they're hearing about health care, the Employee Free Choice Act and restoring economic strength to Main Street.

Thousands of union members and allies gathered on Capitol Hill today to kick off the delivery of 1.5 million signatures in support of the Employee Free Choice Act to members of Congress.

Senator Tom Harkin, Congressman George Miller, union members, and progressive organizations joined the workers to showcase the widespread public support for the legislation that will give workers back the freedom to bargain for better wages and benefits.

"The right to organize is a basic human right and no one should be able to take that away," said Sen. Harkin, speaking out about why this legislation is so important for workers and making our economy work for everyone-not just those at the top.

[...] "Unions made the middle class. Don't believe me? Look up 'middle class' in the dictionary and you'll see it says 'see unions,'" joked Sen. Harkin.

Head of the United Steel Workers Leo Gerard acted as master of ceremonies, introducing other labor leaders including SEIU's Andy Stern, CWA President Larry Cohen and the AFL-CIO's John Sweeney.

But the main focus of today's rally was union members from all different sectors who came to Washington, DC to give first-hand testimony about their efforts to form a union--workers who've been harassed, intimidated, and fired from their jobs for trying to improve their working conditions, wages, and benefits by forming a union.

"I'm putting a face on all of the members," SEIU's Theo Jackson told a reporter before sharing his story first at today's rally. Jackson was a case manager--and a two-time Employee of the Month--at a substance abuse recovery center in Scotts Valley, CA before being fired for trying to form a union. "When companies do something, nobody knows, they want the people who get fired to slink away in shame. The very next day, I was in front of the gate, waving at the executive director." (Read Theo's story here)

We heard from Theresa Gars, a New Jersey school bus driver: "I don't think any worker out there is a dime a dozen," she said, speaking of her employers threats that she and her coworkers could--and would--be easily replaced if they were to form a union with TWA. "There's no reason to be scared when you're standing up for something you believe in," she said, eliciting a huge cheer from fellow rally attendees.

Acela Espiritu, an RN from California, took the podium to speak about her successful organizing campaign with AFSCME at an Orange County Kaiser Permanente facility and the benefits that both employees and management gained from having a union. "This is not a Republican-Democrat issue," Espiritu said. "It is an American issue. Passing Employee Free Choice equals worker empowerment."

Watch video highlights from this rally:

Vice President Biden has gone on the record about the timeline for passing the Employee Free Choice Act, saying it will happen this calendar year. But corporate lobbyists are mounting an unrelenting campaign to defeat this bill and we need your grassroots power to fight back and push for the passage of Employee Free Choice Act. In order to accomplish this, the Million-Member Mobilization Campaign has set a new goal: 2 million signatures before Congress goes on its February break.

Join the movement by adding your name to the petition to support Employee Free Choice Act .

To view more photos from the petition delivery rally this afternoon, visit SEIU's Flickr page.

Update: This event is taking place today, February 4th, at 12:30.

Over the past year, organizations and supporters of the freedom to form unions have carried out a national campaign to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. Today, thousands of workers from across the country will gather on Capitol Hill to deliver 1.5 million signatures in support of the pending legislation to members of Congress. Activists from the nation's unions and other progressive organizations will join workers in the rally to showcase the broad public support for the bill.

Workers from across the nation will tell their personal stories about what's wrong with our current system and why the Employee Free Choice Act is necessary to help fix it. One of the workers who will speak at the rally is Theo Jackson , who worked as a case manager at a substance abuse recovery center in Scotts Valley, CA for more than three years before being fired for trying to form a union with SEIU. Theo is just one of the thousands of ordinary workers who are harassed, threatened or terminated each year for trying to exercise their basic freedom to form a union and bargain for a better life. (Read Theo's story here)