SEIU Plans to Spend Big on Its Agenda ($10-50 million for legislation championed by the organization

[Omaha Steve]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123137926891763113.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

* JANUARY 7, 2009, 10:15 P.M. ET

By KRIS MAHER

The Service Employees International Union has set aside $10 million -- and could spend as much as $50 million -- for a campaign this year to push for legislation championed by the organization, including an economic-recovery package, a revamped health-care system and a controversial union-organizing bill.

The 1.9-million-member labor union will focus its efforts in 35 states, and plans grassroots campaigns deploying its members and others as well as direct lobbying of members of Congress. The union plans extensive advertising to buttress its initiative.

The campaign could give a big boost to President-elect Barack Obama's legislative agenda, labor experts said. The SEIU was among Mr. Obama's biggest campaign supporters, spending an estimated $85 million in the 2008 election.

Peter Francia, an expert on labor and politics at East Carolina University, in Greenville, N.C., said this initiative could have a particularly big impact, because the Democratic party is more closely tied to labor than in the past.

The SEIU, whose ranks include nurses and other health-care workers along with workers ranging from janitors to security officers, supports Mr. Obama's health-care plan and wants states and local governments to receive financial relief in a recovery package. Also high on the SEIU's list is the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for unions to organize workers by gathering signatures in favor of certification rather than via lengthy secret balloting.

Write to Kris Maher at [e-mail]

[David Dunham]

1. IN NY this union is opposed to Gov. Paterson's needed efforts to limit health care spending

We have a 15 billion state deficit, and this union sadly opposes any budget reduction in state health care costs, which are skyrocketing.

[Omaha Steve]

3. How do they cut costs?

Without cutting service? Who are the recipients of this care? Kids? Elderly? Those with orphan diseases?

[bread_and_roses]

4. So the poor and working people who benefit from State health care spending are to sacrifice while

the "millionaires tax" is off the table for Patterson? And yet you focus your ire on SEIU, which will fight to maintain that funding? What kind of priorities do you have? How do kids and elders and low-income people "sacrifice" - go without immunizations? skip their meds?

The States cannot solve the health care crisis in this Country, and until the Governor's start demanding that this burden be taken off the States by a national, single-payer universal health care system they will fail, no matter what they try. But surely, anyone with any concern for the common good would rather see "millionaires" pay a little more on their absurdly low tax rates than see children dying from whooping cough and measles?

[GrantDem]

2. The EFCA is only controversial to anti-worker, corporate interests.

More corporate media propaganda. It gives the right to organize back to the workers, where it belongs and punishes companies that break the law. Doesn't sound controversial to me... sounds like common sense.