Efforts for Working Families Earn
John Edwards the Backing of SEIU Members
WEST VIRGINIA SEIU LOCAL ENDORSES JOHN EDWARDS FOR PRESIDENT
Endorsement helps Edwards secure largest bloc of labor support among all presidential candidates
Huntington, West Virginia – Healthcare and social service workers with the Service Employees International Union today announced their endorsement of John Edwards for president. Members of the West Virginia local, which represents 4,000 working families in the state, joined other SEIU members from Ohio, Iowa, Washington, Michigan, Idaho, Montana, California, West Virginia, Minnesota, and Oregon at a rally in Iowa City at the Eckstein Medical Research Building sponsored by Iowa SEIU Local 199, to announce the decision. Collectively, the 10 state SEIU locals represent more than 920,000 working families.
“SEIU members in West Virginia know without question that John Edwards will be the best president for working families in the history of the United States,” said Dave Regan, president of SEIU District 1199. “His proposals are far and away the best among the candidates on the issues that matter most to working Americans, like ensuring universal health care, ending the war in Iraq, standing up for workers’ rights to organize and helping the middle class.”
"John Edwards understands the struggle of working people because he has been on the frontline with us so often and now we are proud to be on the frontline with him," said Larry Daniels, vice president of SEIU District 1199.
Citing his record for health care, homecare, public employees, janitors, nurses, school employees, security officers, and other workers represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in West Virginia announced their support today for Presidential candidate John Edwards.
"SEIU is at the forefront of the fight to make work pay and provide economic security to hardworking families. I have proudly stood with them on the frontlines of the fight for working Americans for years, and I am honored to earn their support today," said Edwards. "Together, I believe we can fix the broken system in Washington that has been rigged by corporate interests, and we can make this country work for regular Americans again."
The announcement empowers each of the SEIU state locals to organize efforts to turn out caucus-goers and voters on Edwards’ behalf within any other state where the SEIU state locals have also endorsed Edwards, including the critical early states of Iowa.
In September, Edwards earned the endorsement of the Transport Workers Union of America (200,000 active and retired members), the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (520,000 active members), the United Steelworkers (1.2 million active members and retirees), and the United Mine Workers of America (105,000 active members and retirees).
In West Virginia, SEIU District 1199 represents 4,000 members in the hospital and long-term care industries as well as in the public sector.