May 8th, 2010
The 73-member International Executive Board (IEB) of the Service Employees International Union met in Washington D.C. today to elect Executive Vice President Mary Kay Henry the 10th president of the nation’s fastest-growing union.
“This moment marks a renewed commitment to our union’s core mission: to improve the lives of all workers who are struggling to make ends meet in this economy,” Henry said. ”Working people are facing hardships we haven’t seen in generations, and we believe SEIU can be an even more effective vehicle for change to help them improve their lives and the lives of the people they serve.
“We will get this done by renewing our commitment to organizing, connecting our members at the grassroots level to our political strength and restoring our relationships throughout the American labor movement – because just like I learned as a little girl in a family of twelve, we can’t go it alone. Everything is better when you can organize a group and make a decision to stand and act on behalf of all workers in this country.”
Henry is noted for working side-by-side with SEIU members – meeting with them at 3 a.m. on night shifts in hospitals, walking picket lines, leading members in contract bargaining, and helping them discover the strength they have when they stand together.
Link to Article
April 14th, 2010
Andy Stern, the nation’s most politically influential union president, will announce plans this week to resign, several union officials said, in a move that surprised and shook organized labor and Democratic political circles.
His many conservative detractors hailed the departure of Mr. Stern, who as president of the Service Employees International Union has been labor’s most electrifying — and polarizing — leader.
Link to Article
March 31st, 2010
President Obama’s decision on Saturday to make 15 recess appointments, most notably appointing Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board, has sparked a debate about partisan politics as well as the best ways to bolster the American workforce.
Becker’s nomination to the NLRB was opposed by Republicans, as well as a couple of Democrats, who argue he will bring bias in favor of labor unions to the position. Becker currently serves as a lawyer for the labor organizations SEIU and AFL-CIO and has spoken favorably of the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would make it easier for workers to unionize.
Link to Article
October 14, 2009
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that with the open enrollment season upon us, many employees will see a steep rise in premiums for 2010. Employees will pay $4,023 on average in premiums and out-of-pocket charges next year, up 10% from 2009, according to a projection from Hewitt Associates, a benefits-consulting firm. In dollar terms, it’s the biggest boost since the firm started keeping track of the data a decade ago.
Link to Article
September 5, 2009
The Gallup organization recently released the results of their annual Work and Education Survey, which indicates that, for the first time, fewer than half of Americans approve of labor unions. Gallup first asked “Do you approve or disapprove of unions?” in 1936, making this question one of the longest running the opinion research firm has ever maintained. Currently, only 48% of those surveyed, down from 59% one year ago, approve of labor unions.
Link to Gallup Research
