Service Employees International Union (SEIU) International President April Verrett issued the following statement today in response to Vice President Kamala Harris’s choice of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – “Vice President Kamala Harris has made a great decision in picking Governor Tim Walz for her running mate to defeat Donald Trump. From his time in the classroom to serving in the National Guard and Congress, Governor Walz has delivered tremendous wins for working people in Minnesota. Under his leadership, the state legislature passed the most pro-worker package of laws in decades, the Minnesota Miracle, making it easier for workers to form unions, strengthening worker protections, cracking down on union-busting practices, and creating the nation’s first nursing home workforce standards board.
Governor Walz has been a steadfast partner to Minnesota’s working families. He walked a day in the shoes of home care workers and made record investments in public education, including unemployment benefits for bus drivers, food service workers, paraeducators and others who do essential work supporting students. He paved the way for record contracts between his administration and health care workers, raising wages to as much as $22.50 an hour. Governor Walz has championed guaranteed family and medical leave for workers and middle-class tax breaks for Minnesotans. He supported janitors and nursing home workers l when they were on strike in March, and we were proud to see him join UAW workers on the picket line during last year’s strikes.
In contrast to the Trump-Vance ticket, who continue to spew hate and try to divide us, Governor Walz has actually championed not-yet-union workers, racial and immigrant justice and climate action. Working people will decide this election. Voters of all races and backgrounds are excited to march to the polls like never before to elect the leaders who work for us and promote them to the White House: Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz.”