SEIU’S PUBLIC SERVICE, EARLY EDUCATION, AND BUILDING SERVICE DIVISIONS JOIN THE HEALTH CARE DIVISION TO SUPPORT SHEILA DIXON’S OFFICIAL BID TO SERVE AS BALTIMORE’S MAYOR.

Sheila Dixon’s devotion to the city of Baltimore as a public servant and her background in early education helped secure her the support of the 30,000 members of the SEIU Maryland and District of Columbia State Council.

Baltimore, MD—In front of a landscape of office buildings where some of the 50 SEIU members in attendance work, Mayor Sheila Dixon proudly accepted the full-backing of the 30,000 members of the SEIU MD/DC State Council, saying she “looks forward to working with all of SEIU on the issues which affect working families in Baltimore City.”

“After member interviews were conducted and the candidate questionnaires were reviewed, our members felt Mayor Dixon was the best candidate to represent the needs of the hardworking residents of Baltimore,” said Jaime Contreras, Chairman of SEIU Local 32BJ, District 82 –which has around 1,000 members who work in Baltimore. Contreras continued, “Mayor Dixon understands that the janitors and security guards who work in the surrounding office buildings deserve fair compensation and livable wages for the work they do.”

For the public service and early education members of SEIU, Mayor Dixon’s background as a kindergarten teacher and Head Start educator has made the difference. Ruth Musicante, Treasurer of SEIU Local 500, said, “Sheila is the right choice for us. She’s committed to education and so are we. We hope to continue working with the Mayor to secure more funding for under-financed, but valuable programs like Head Start in the city.” Myra Woodson, who is working with the nearly 1,400 child care providers in Baltimore who want to join the union, added that, “Mayor Dixon will make a strong partner for early education because she has first-hand knowledge of the difference a quality early education can make in the lives of children—especially for children with disabilities or children from single-parent and low-income families.”

But for SEIU Local 32BJ member Richard Thompson, it is Mayor Dixon’s dedication to the city, “You can just tell how much the city means to her. She’s doing a fine job.”

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Service Employees International Union, Maryland/District of Columbia State Council Represents 30,000 Health Care, Building Service, and Public Sector Workers in Maryland and Washington, DC