WASHINGTON, DC -- After a deal was reached to avert the fiscal cliff, Mary Kay Henry, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), issued the following statement:

This deal is the right move to protect America's middle class families, who were facing a New Year with higher taxes, and to prevent two million Americans from losing their unemployment benefits.

"Unfortunately, right wing extremists once again pushed the debate outside the mainstream by fighting to protect the wealthiest at the expense of the middle class. The leadership of the President, Majority Leader Reid and Leader Pelosi mitigated their extreme agenda and will require more of the richest Americans to pay their fair share to invest in our country.

"Working families have already made significant sacrifices in the name of deficit reduction. In 2013, working families need elected leaders to turn away from the politics of painful cuts and focus on creating good jobs and jumpstarting our economic recovery. The best way to get our economy moving again is to get people back to work."

With 2.1 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy.

www.seiu.org

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