NYC union leader gets job in Obama White House

Source: Crains new york business.com

A top union leader in New York City who helped deliver the vote for President-elect Barack Obama will become the White House political director.

Patrick Gaspard, currently the personnel director of Mr. Obama’s transition team, has informed union officials he’ll be taking the job, according to two sources involved.

“Patrick’s a consensus builder who has shown he can bring people together in a common cause,” one source said.

Currently on leave from his job as executive vice president of the powerful health care workers’ union Local 1199-SEIU, Mr. Gaspard has long been a political strategist in New York. During the Obama campaign he was its national political director. In that role he was in charge of the union’s “weekend warrior” program, a successful national effort to get out the vote in swing states.

Read more: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081121/FREE/811219961/-1/rss01&rssfeed=rss01

They were a godsend. They canvassed the neighborhoods (repeatedly), allowing the locals to stick by the precincts and explain the ballot design to voters.

Hard workers and good people.

Love the idea of unionists in the administration.

that SOMEONE will find SOMETHING wrong with this.

My best friend is an officer in a rival union. Now I'm going to hear about how evil Obama is for being in bed with SEIU.

Thanks, Barack. After all I did for you.

...as in, LOOKING FOR and FINDING work categories, work areas, and large employers that systematically oppress and exploit the workers, and organizing them from the grass roots on up.

As opposed to the Unions that have narrowed their scope to the point where if your Dad wasn't a member, you don't mean s*** to them.

The ones where there isn't a single actual ORGANIZER on the payroll.

The ones that are more concerned whether they can cut kickback deals with industries and benefits providers that will enable the "Union leaders" to junket in expensive resorts and make fat salaries.

As opposed to them, yep.

SEIU ain't perfect, but bigod they are in the trenches organizing some of the crappiest-treated workers in America. If there's one Union that deserves a voice in this Administration, SEIU has earned it, over and over again.

militantly,
Bright

that it is actually a stroke of genius. Not that I'm in any way down-playing the level of patriotism and statesmanship Obama is showing just by this one act. Far from it.

nt

....there are many talented people in labor Unions and in the labor movement....finding hard-working intelligent individuals should not be difficult....

....I applaud Patrick Gaspards' selection as White House political director....now let's see a few more positions offered to labor....

A union leader in the White House, my god this goes back to the civil war when the Union leaders...

Never Mind!