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Monday, November 15, 2021

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 SEIU Pennsylvania State Council Endorses Josh Shapiro for Governor

SEIU is endorsing Josh Shapiro early this cycle because they know he will be a strong advocate for their members in Harrisburg and will work to not only protect union rights, but to expand them.

PENNSYLVANIA – Today at a rally in Philadelphia, the SEIU Pennsylvania State Council – which is composed of four major SEIU Locals in Pennsylvania, 32BJ SEIU, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, SEIU Local 668, and the Pennsylvania Joint Board of Workers United – endorsed Josh Shapiro for Governor. SEIU’s endorsement comes with an initial investment of $250,000 in Josh Shapiro’s campaign, and over the next year, they will run a massive organizing program to elect Shapiro as Pennsylvania’s next Governor.

The SEIU Pennsylvania State Council is the third-largest union in Pennsylvania – representing 80,000 workers across the Commonwealth – and one of the most powerful worker and political organizations in the state. They have invested millions of dollars in political organizing over the past several election cycles through massive field organizing programs, targeted ads, and cutting-edge digital tactics. In 2020 alone, SEIU members in Pennsylvania made 1,607,716 calls and had 53,896 conversations, helping win the state for President Biden.

“For far too long, major corporations have rigged the rules in their favor and have left working people in the dust – and following a pandemic that magnified those injustices, we can’t go back to the ‘normal’ that never worked for essential workers,” said Gabe Martin, President of the SEIU PA State Council and Vice President of SEIU 32BJ. “Pennsylvania workers need bold leadership, and they need a governor who will use every tool at his disposal to rewrite the rules to hold corporations responsible and put power back in the hands of working people. They need a governor who will make it easier for every Pennsylvanian to join or form a union and ensure that every worker earns at least $15 an hour. That’s why SEIU is proud to endorse Josh Shapiro, and why winning this race will be SEIU’s top Pennsylvania priority in 2022.”

“Harrisburg Republicans have spent years undermining organized labor and attacking the right to organize – but when I’m Governor, I’ll always have Pennsylvania workers’ backs,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “I’ve spent my career taking on the powerful and well-connected on behalf of the people, and as Governor, I’ll make sure we not only defend the right to organize, but expand it, and ensure we’re paying every Pennsylvania worker a living wage and building an economy that works for everyone in the process. SEIU has been on the frontlines of that fight, and I’m proud to have their support in my campaign to move our Commonwealth forward.”

Throughout his career, Josh has stood with Pennsylvania workers, and as Attorney General, he has defended working people and held companies accountable when they rip off their workers. In 2019, Josh helped end the UPMC – Highmark crisis, protecting access to health care for 1.9 million western Pennsylvanians. Earlier this year, he prosecuted the largest Davis-Bacon prevailing wage case in American history, winning more than $20 million in restitution for Pennsylvania workers. Throughout the pandemic, Josh held employers accountable who broke the law, including nursing homes administrators who falsified staffing records and left staff and residents in unsafe conditions.

As Governor, Josh will work not only to protect union rights, but to expand them, making sure every Pennsylvanian has the right to join or form a union. Josh believes every worker should be paid a livable wage and he supports efforts to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

SEIU members are on the frontlines every day, and as Governor, Josh Shapiro will always have Pennsylvania workers’ backs.

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