SEIU Leaders Reiterate Endorsement Guidelines for Presidential Primary

Washington, DC - In response to the announcement of presidential endorsements at the state level by SEIU locals today, SEIU leaders restated the guidelines for endorsement agreed to by the International Executive Board last week.

Under the guidelines, local unions in each state will decide in a democratic process whether and/or whom to endorse.  States that endorse will engage in positive campaign activities on behalf of the endorsed candidate in their state.  States are only able to expend resources to campaign in their state or in a state that has endorsed the same candidate.  States may not campaign in states that have not endorsed a candidate or have endorsed a different candidate.

"We are completely comfortable that when the leaders of SEIU approved the rules for endorsement last week, they understood both the spirit and specific requirements,"said SEIU President Andy Stern.  "We have talked with our leaders supporting all of the different candidates, and we expect no need to but have the ability to enforce the guidelines."

"SEIU Illinois supports and respects the endorsement process,"said Tom Balanoff, President of the SEIU Illinois State Council, which endorsed Senator Obama today.  "If other states decide to endorse Obama, we will consider working within those states.  If other states do not, we will concentrate our efforts in Illinois."

SEIU members will continue their commitment to changing America by working together on key issues, such as overriding President Bush's veto of children's healthcare, and mobilizing for SEIU's largest grassroots effort in history to elect a pro-worker president.