Local Leaders Attend Member Political Action Conference
September 19, 2007
NAGE local leaders joined more than 2,000 other SEIU members from around the country to hear from presidential hopefuls and to lobby lawmakers on Capitol Hill. As part of the two-day event, members discussed which issues should be top priorities for the next president, mapped out the steps needed to win for working families in the ’08 elections, and met with and heard from five presidential candidates: Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Christopher Dodd, Senator John Edwards, Senator Barack Obama, and Governor Bill Richardson.
On the second day of the conference, members created a sea of purple as they took to Capitol Hill to meet with their Senators and members of Congress to push for nationwide health care and labor law reform. They also had a chance to discuss specific issues affecting their bargaining units.
"To be with a couple thousand other union members listening to presidential candidates tell us how they're going to work to bring back the hope of the American Dream was an unbelievable experience" said Susie McLean, a NAGE National Executive Board member and Executive Vice President of Local 291. "I also had the opportunity to join President Holway and other NAGE leaders at the WEP-GPO meeting with Senator Kerry. All in all, it was an amazing two days."
According to Susan Anderson, a NAGE National Vice President and president of Local R4-78 in Martinsburg, WV, the two-day meeting was a huge sucess. "It was a great conference and a wonderful opportunity to air our concerns directly to our Senators and Congressmen," she said. "My group had a meeting at Senator Byrd's office and we were able to convey the problems we have with safe staffing and overtime at the VA. Sending letters and emails to the people who represent us in Washington is great, but going to their offices on Capitol Hill seems to add a real punch to our message."