Today, the SEIU Pennsylvania State Council announced its endorsement of State Representative Austin Davis for Lieutenant Governor.

The SEIU Pennsylvania State Council is comprised of four major SEIU Locals in Pennsylvania, 32BJ SEIU, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, SEIU Local 668, and the Pennsylvania Joint Board of Workers United.  The affiliates of the State Council together organize 80,000 members in Pennsylvania.

“Ever since he was elected State Representative in 2018, Austin Davis has been a champion for all working Pennsylvanians -- whether Black, brown or white,” said Steve Catanese, President of SEIU Local 668.  “Running alongside Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvanians will have a ticket that will fight not just to protect union rights, but to expand them -- ensuring that every Pennsylvanian has the opportunity to join or form a union.”

SEIU is the third-largest union in Pennsylvania and one of the most powerful political organizations in the state. SEIU members 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.

SEIU members will hit the streets in unprecedented numbers in 2022 and knock on as many doors as possible in order to secure a win for the Shapiro/Davis ticket.

"As the son of a union bus driver, I know the critical role organized labor plays in ensuring a level playing field for working families. As Lt. Governor I will stand with Josh Shapiro to protect the right to organize and advocate for policies like an increase to the minimum wage, so that the prosperity of our Commonwealth is shared by every family, not just the wealthy and well connected," said Representative Davis. "The working men and women of Pennsylvania will always have a friend in the Shapiro-Davis Administration."

“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 Morgan, President of the SEIU PA State Council and Vice President of SEIU 32BJ. "Pennsylvania workers need bold leadership, and they need a gubernatorial team who will use every tool at their disposal to rewrite the rules to hold corporations responsible and put power back in the hands of working people. They need a team that 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 the Shapiro/Davis ticket, and getting them elected will be our top priority in 2022."

You can read more about Austin Davis here.