Issued November 04, 2020
San Francisco, Calif. - Service Employee International Union (SEIU) President Mary Kay Henry released the following statement as vote counting continues in the presidential election. SEIU represents 2 million service and care workers, the majority of whom are Black, brown, Asian Pacific Islander and other people of color.
“Voters and essential workers turned out in record numbers, especially working people in communities of color who don’t always vote. Workers won a $15 minimum wage in Florida, and we are on track to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Now, it’s time to respect our voices and count every vote.
“Our nation is in the midst of a reckoning as we face overlapping crises. We voted to uproot the systems of racism that our nation was founded on, and unrig the rules so all working people can bargain for a better life at work and in our communities. We voted to win $15 and a union, racial justice, a path to citizenship, healthcare for all, an end to police violence, action on climate change and more.
“Essential workers of every race and background in every state have kept America fed, clean, safe and healthy. We’re essential - we always have been - and so are our votes. We voted in record numbers for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to tackle the pandemic head-on and build a better future out of this crisis.
“Americans’ faith in our political system requires that we fulfill the promise that all votes are counted. President Trump wants to pick and choose how our votes will be counted. He hopes that he can bully and cheat his way to victory. But we won’t let him. We are fighting back, together, to defend our democracy. We’ll be in the streets, organizing our communities and marching together to count every vote and ensure that our democracy works for all of us, no exceptions.