SEIU presents Bayh with 500 letters and postcards in Gary

Key lawmaker supports the Employee Free Choice Act

SEIU Local 73 Northwest Indiana played host to a leading voice in Congress recently to press him to keep working hard for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) visited our union's offices in Gary on May 27 after repeated invitations from SEIU Local 73 Indiana Division Director Alice Bush.

Bayh was presented with over 500 letters and postcards from Local 73 members & allies in support of the legislation now before lawmakers in Washington.

"We had a great discussion and he expressed total support for the act," said Local 73's Bush.

"He had said he needed to hear from his constituents on the issue," Local 73 Secretary-Treasurer Matt Brandon said. "Now he has gotten the message that his constituents want the EFCA."

Bayh says he favors the bill in its present form but it is unlikely to pass without changes. That's because there are three Democrats in the Senate who are holding up the legislation.

SEIU Local 73 Union Representatives Anthony Taylor and Blaine Nicholson also attended the meeting with Sen. Bayh.

Also on hand were Northwest Indiana Federation of Labor President Dan Murcheck and Health Care Union Illinois/Indiana Representative Lorenzo Crowell Jr.

  Click here for pictures 
  Read more about the fight to pass EFCA
  Read Sen. Bayh's 2007 statement in support of EFCA