SEIU endorses Pignatelli

SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Local 509 has endorsed Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli (D-Lenox) in his re-election bid for the 4th Berkshire District Massachusetts State House of Representatives seat.

Green-Rainbow Party candidate Lee “Scott” Laugenour of Lenox is challenging Rep. Pignatelli in Berkshire County’s only contested state house race this election cycle. The candidates will be meeting on Oct. 31 at 7:30 at the Lenox Library for a debate sponsored by The Berkshire Beacon.

“Given Rep. Pignatelli’s commitment to working families and our members in particular, this decision was an easy one,” said Melody Hugo, deputy political director of SEIU Local 509, from a document released to the press by the Pignatelli campaign.

His campaign cites his commitment to the SEIU’s priorities, including his advocacy during the budget debate to fully fund the Human Service Salary Reserve. The final budget included $20 million for the reserve, and Rep. Pignatelli worked to keep this funding in throughout the budget process.

“I have great respect and admiration for the hard working members of the SEIU Local 509 and I am truly honored to have won their endorsement of my campaign. Every day these folks go out and provide the care and support that our most vulnerable citizens need and I am proud to be able to represent such selfless and hard working folks. I would like to thank the members of the Local 509 for their support and I look forward to working with them further,” he said in a statement released to the press.

The SEIU is the fastest-growing union in North America and one of the largest, with approximately 2.1 million members. The SEIU is the largest healthcare union, the largest property services union and the second-largest public services union. SEIU Local 509 represents over 12,000 human service workers throughout Massachusetts.

Rep. Pignatelli’s opponent, Lee Scott Laugenour, was endorsed in August by the United Auto Workers (UAW). They cited Rep. Pignatelli’s vote last year for legislation making it more difficult for municipal employees in Massachusetts to collectively bargain over health care as the chief reason they would not be supporting him.

SEIU Local 509 did not answer The Beacon’s inquiry about this issue, and whether or not it affected their decision to endorse Rep. Pignatelli, in time for publication.

Posted by Bera B. Dunau on October 18, 2012. Filed under Community News,News,State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry