The debate begins on the long-term care resolution: combining all long-term care workers in each state into one local in a state. There will be emotional language but the resolution will pass. A vote on Saturday at the meeting of the health care division supported the resolution so this vote is a foregone conclusion.

    Agree or not, there is a strategic vision here: that putting workers who work together in one jurisdiction in one state makes it more effective. According to the committee member presenting the resolution, Dave Regan, funding of the work for long-term health care workers comes from one source: Medicaid; without a unified strategy, standards cannot be raised, they say. Nothing in the resolution would prevent long-term health care workers from combining together with other health care workers as long as the long-term health care workers were together. Part of the controversy on this resolution is that the vote on how the workers get reorganized would be voted on by all workers in the locals (so-called "pool voting"), not just the long-term workers–and one would assume that non-long-term health care workers in the local that would get bigger would vote to support the reorganization…got it?

     Okay, debate: oh, they bring out the bring guns to support the resolution–Dennis Rivera, who was the head of the largest SEIU Local, 1199, until he moved up to lead SEIU’s national health care division. "Though no official vote was taken" the Saturday assembly of the health care workers approved this resolution, Rivera says.

    More testimony about how wonderful unity is…okay, okay…we all love each other…I’m losing it…

   Andy Stern, who chairs the convention, is asked by one delegate whether there will be a chance for people opposed to speak, in equal numbers. Answer: yes, "we" were just about to move people up who are opposed.

    Sal Roselli, the most visible leader of the small but vocal opposition group, speaks: today, we’re 150,000 strong…for 74 years, the fabric of our union has been health care workers and long-term workers…we know we are going to lose that vote here…if our intl union officers have a vision that they are convinced will effect our workers, let our 65,000 workers decide….but if it’s false democracy, we cannot and will not accept that vote…

    Overwhelmingly approved. Everyone is ready to party tonight in San Juan–if it doesn’t rain–and the rush begins for the doors. No rum tonight for yours truly…famous last words.