Lesbian To Lead SEIU

Open lesbian Mary Kay Henry has been chosen to lead the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents over two million workers in the health care, public service, and food service industries. Henry will replace retiring president Andy Stern, a longtime and vocal ally of the Democrats.

Key locals in New York, Los Angeles, Oregon, and Washington State committed crucial votes to Henry, choosing her over Stern’s protege, Anna Burger, who had promises continuity with Stern’s leadership. “It’s done,” an SEIU insider emailed moments ago. Henry benefitted from a sentiment in the union’s constituents across the country that Stern had become a divisive, and even exhausting, figure. Final negotiations included ensuring peace between Henry’s California nurses’ union and a long-term care workers local in the state led by Laphonza Butler. Butler and building workers leader Mike Fishman met in New York today with the leaders of other large undeclared locals, including the largest Chicago SEIU chapter. One person familiar with the deliberations said the swing voters decided that Henry was closer to a consensus choice, as opposition to Burger had already begun to divide the union. If Burger was to win, they decided, she would have had to win cleanly, and it was already too late for that.

Teabaggers and Freepers frequently cite the SEIU as a socialist/communist group due to the union’s strong support of President Obama and advocacy for undocumented immigrants. Today’s news should fuel that nonsense even more.