The Service Employees International Union, one of the largest labor unions, won’t make a national endorsement among the Democratic presidential candidates, and instead will allow individual state chapters to back their favorite contender.
The long-anticipated announcement is a setback for former Sen. John Edwards, the North Carolina Democrat who came close to scoring the nod from the fast-growing, 1.9 million member union after all the candidates spent nine months courting the rank and file. Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, both Democrats, impressed many of the group’s members, who split on whom to endorse.
In addition to giving interviews and speeches, the candidates participated in SEIU’s “Walk a Day” program to shadow union members. They each shadowed nurses or home care workers, helping them wash dishes, prepare meals and change bed linens.
SEIU also demanded each candidate submit a plan that would give all Americans health care coverage, the union’s top issue.
“We have a number of candidates who would really stand up for workers if they are elected,” SEIU spokeswoman Stephanie Mueller said, adding the decision was a rare move, since the union historically has made national presidential primary endorsements.
“The decision today is a recognition of the incredibly strong field of candidates,” she said.
The SEIU backed Vermont Gov. Howard Dean in 2004, which helped him briefly attain front-runner status before his campaign fared poorly in the Iowa caucus.
Union President Andy Stern encouraged state chapters “to act on their passion for the candidates and get involved on a statewide basis.” Miss Mueller said the state endorsements would “be able to make a difference” in the upcoming primary season because SEIU members are politically active.
Once there is a Democratic nominee, SEIU will get involved nationally with what officials say will be “the largest and most comprehensive campaign in our history.”
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