50,000 members of SEIU get behind Merkley

Oregon Senate race: SEIU weighs in for Merkley
Associated Press, March 10, 2008

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon's Democratic Senate candidates are trading union endorsements.

Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley on Monday formally announced that he'd been endorsed by the SEIU, which has 50,000 members, including home care workers, nursing home workers, university staff members, child care providers, and other state employees.

That followed news on Saturday that his rival, Portland lawyer and activist Steve Novick, had received the endorsement of the Oregon Education Association, which has 48,000 members.

"They are known as the organization that does more boots-on-the-ground type organization than any other union in the state," Merkley said Monday of the SEIU.

The union's political director, Art Towers, said members were swayed by Merkley's work in the Legislature on health care equity issues.

Novick's campaign manager, Jake Weigler, pointed out that another union, the Teamsters, had sided with Novick.

"We are glad that at least some unions in this state understand that you need change to win," Weigler said.

Posted March 11, 2008
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