Are You A Republican Union Member?
March 24, 2008
Besides our COPE (our voluntary contribution PAC) donations to Federal candidates, the International also supports a number of GOP organizations and committees. These contributions are made by the Government Affairs Department of SEIU International.
Republican Governors Association (
www.rga.org)
SEIU has been a member of the RGA since 1998. Since that time, SEIU or its locals and state councils have supported Republican nominees for Governor in Illinois, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, North Carolina, Neveda, New York, and Massachusetts. In 2004, SEIU was RGA's largest single donor. In 2008, we continue to participate at the Cabinet level ($100,000). The union is also a member of the GOP Lt. Governors Association.
Republican Main Street Partnership(
www.rmsp.org)
Active at the top donor level since 1999, SEIU has been very engaged in the Partnership. Functioning as a think tank for moderate and centrist Republican elected officials at both the Congressional and State levels, the Partnership has set up both a Federal and State PAC to defend moderates who are under attack from the extreme right wing.
Republican National Committee (
www.rnc.org)
While SEIU has been an occasional donor to the RNC, the union has used the opportunity of the National GOP Convention to have official events. In 2000 at Philadelphia, SEIU honored GOP Congressional friends with a salute to Senator Chuck Grassley (Iowa) and Representative Marge Roukema (NJ) and others who had been supportive of key SEIU legislation. SEIU is on the Host Committee for the St. Paul 2008 GOP Convention.
Republican Legislative Campaign Committee (
www.rslc.org)
Under the sponsorship of the recently formed Republican State Leadership Committee, GOP Legislators have pulled together the RLCC to advance GOP fortunes in state legislatures. SEIU joined at a major donor level in '05 and continues through '08. SEIU has good relations with GOP caucuses in numerous state capitols, and a number of SEIU members serve as GOP legislators.
In many of our states, SEIU affiliates participate in state and local GOP organizations.