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SEIU’s campaign to take
over key UNITE HERE locals
suffered a major setback
yesterday, as 2300 workers at
the Philadelphia School District
voted by a 2-1 margin to remain
affiliated with UNITE HERE rather
than switch to SEIU. The New
York - based SEIU 32BJ had led
efforts to win the election, viewing
Philadelphia as a stepping
stone to its larger goal of taking
over all of UNITE HERE’s food
service locals. Instead, workers
dealt SEIU a crushing 1,121-
551 defeat. UNITE HERE’s victory comes after recent wins over
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SEIU in St. Louis and among
Delaware North company food
service workers, indicating that
not only has SEIU’s attempted
raids failed, but UNITE HERE is
even stronger today than when
SEIU’s attacks began.
Yesterday’s UNITE HERE victory
in Philadelphia does not
end Bruce Raynor’s and SEIU’s
hostile takeover campaign, but it
leaves them without a clear target
for future membership gains.
SEIU pulled out all the stops in
Philly, and yet its attempt to woo
workers was soundly rejected. §
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Vol. 4, Number 1, 2009 • Page 9