The union front group “Republicans Who Care” (which is more appropriately named “Union Bosses Who Crave Forced Unionism Privilege”) got egg on their face as rank and file voters ousted incumbent Rep. Wayne Gilchrest in Maryland in the Republican primary. Gilchrest was the beneficiary of hundreds of thousands of dollars of political largess from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The SEIU funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to aid Wayne Gilchrest’s reelection.
“This is an outrageous money-laundering scheme from a left-wing democratic labor union attempting to assist Gilchrest’s campaign,” said Chris Meekins, Campaign Manager for Andy Harris for Congress. “It is clear Republicans and conservatives are no longer supporting Gilchrest, so he has to turn to people who do – liberal special interest groups.”
FEC documentation clearly outlines the connection between SEIU and Republicans Who Care. On January 14, 2008, Republicans Who Care received $200,000 from the Service Employees International Union’s Political Education and Action (SEIU PEA) Fund. On January 28, 2008, Republicans Who Care purchased $180,000 in ads attacking Andy Harris.
The SEIU labor union is a leader in the battle to eliminate the secret ballot election for workers in union certification drives, supports amnesty for illegal immigrants and taxpayer-funded healthcare. Gilchrest was a leader on several of these issues and recently voted to allow the federal government to virtually force all police, firefighters and emergency medical technicians into labor unions. Gilchrest voted for H.R. 980, the Police Firefighter Forced Unionism Bill, that would federally impose “core labor standards” on all police, firefighters and EMT’s nationwide. Of course, the core standards include forcing all emergency personnel into union monopoly bargaining units and then, ultimately, forcing them to pay union dues and fees as a condition of getting or keeping a job.
Union officials admit passage of the bill would change the laws in at least 21 states and would be the most dramatic change in labor law in decades.