Members Move Into Political Action

From the Massachusetts State House to the Halls of Congress to Boston and Cambridge City Halls, SEIU Local 615 members have been working to build and exercise their political power.

·         Security Officers Erin Bailey, Vivian  Brown, Christian Kanonga, John Kinner, and James White joined hundreds of other SEIU members in Washington DC in early April to lobby for the right of other workers to organize and telling Congress that "the Employee Free Choice Act is the real stimulus package for the working class in this country."

·         Members and allies have been working at the Massachusetts State House in support of a law giving all workers paid sick day. Betty McGuire, SEIU Local 615 member and an ACORN leader in her community speaks out because "it is important for people to have paid sick time." 

·         Worcester members have gathered over 400 postcards calling on legislators to pass the Paid Sick Days legislation that would provide mandatory paid sick time off for all workers in Massachusetts.

·         All the SEIU Locals have been lobbying and attending rallies, while actively working to stop the state budget cuts to programs like health care and community services.

·         MIT and Harvard members have lobbied Cambridge City Council to help make those Universities maintain good jobs as part of their contribution to their community.

·         After SEIU Local 615 endorsed Boston Mayor Menino for re-election and Felix G. Arroyo for at large city council, members gathered the signatures of registered voters to get them both on the ballot in September.

·         SEIU's Enemies of Change Campaign - Members and their labor and community allies planned and executed several rallies against Bank of America throughout the New England area.  These actions combined with others around the country became a significant factor in forcing out Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis.

Read about this and much more in the May-June 2009 Newsletter!