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SEIU to spend in North Carolina

One of the nation's largest unions will target North Carolina.

In a conference call with reporters, secretary-treasurer Anna Burger said the Service Employees International Union will assist the campaigns of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and one of the gubernatorial candidates.

"Our members are incredibly excited about the electoral process," Burger said, according to a New York Times story. "We expect to be the most aggressive union on the ground and on the air across the country."

The union has set aside $75 million for the election for staff and advertising on radio, television and the Internet. Members will also participate in canvassing, phone banking and voter registration.

SEIU spent money on behalf of Republican gubernatorial candidate Patrick Ballantine in 2004, but neither it nor any other union has campaigned for a presidential candidate in North Carolina in recent memory since the state has been a reliable red state since 1980.

The State Employees Association of North Carolina recently affiliated with SEIU.

Correction: SEIU has not made an endorsement in the governor's race, a spokesman says.

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Re: SEIU to spend in North Carolina

Submitted by tangoz on July 2, 2008 - 10:20pm.

Do you know why Unions are against Right to Work state laws?

If a state is not Right to Work then if you want a job at a company with a union, you HAVE to join the Union and pay the dues if you want that job. PERIOD.

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Re: SEIU to spend in North Carolina

Submitted by ethanperry on July 2, 2008 - 8:51pm.

I have never been in favor of unions, because I have always thought they took more than they benefited any member. Jimmy Hoffa comes to mind when I think about unions. They scare me.

But todays labor / management situation in NC is largely a result of not having to worry about a union. State and local governments have not handled
their human resources well. They have lobbied just as hard against unions as some employees have for them. Why would they do that? I have come to believe it is because they know they haven't been good employers, and are afraid of what it will cost to "make up" the difference.

For these reasons, I think employees who have the right to collective-bargain and possibly join unions will be playing on a level field. Then and
only then will the employer and employee be able to sit down in a mutual environment and negotiate fair working conditions and benefits.

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