Firedoglake has exclusively obtained mailers from NUHW that encourage Kaiser workers to vote NUHW because the kinda-union supports Republicans more than SEIU does. Seriously.

SEIU’s California State Council – arguably the leaders of the state’s most powerful union – announced the union’s support of California’s Proposition 19 for marijuana legalization. Not only does SEIU’s endorsement bring much needed political mainstream legitimacy, but as the Times notes, it also brings SEIU’s campaign infrastructure to Prop 19′s campaign.

On Thursday, July 29, Arizona’s “Show Me Your Papers” law, aka SB 1070, will go into effect in the state. To mark the beginning of this draconian measure, SEIU released a hard-hitting new web video that warns of similar measures spreading out from Arizona. Then SEIU’s video goes beyond Arizona, and evokes video and audio of both the construction of the Berlin Wall, and of WWII-era Japanese internment camps and news footage from the era. It’s a striking video and extremely well-done.

In the wake of Blanche Lincoln’s surprise victory in the runoff election for the Democratic nomination of Arkansas’ Senate seat, top officials in the White House and Senate derided labor unions as “absolute idiots,” and “Washington special interests” who “flushed $10 million down the toilet” for supporting challenger Bill Halter. DSCC Chair Bob Menendez even had the gall to say he expects labor’s “support, you know, financially” in “all of our races across the country.”

It seems Menendez will get his wish. Sam Stein reports that labor unions plan to step up – you know, financially – for Democratic candidates across the country in 2010 to help stem the tide of a massive influx of corporate cash this cycle.

“We will not threaten to kill you or to cause you bodily harm because you engage in activities in support of SEIU, Local 32BJ.” That is the most the NLRB can do in a situation where the owner of the real estate company threaten to both kill and have arrested a union activist protecting in front of his home.

As I clear out my desk for the week ahead, here’s a segment I taped last week on GritTV about the future of labor, discussing SEIU, the BP oil disaster, and other topics with The Nation’s Max Fraser.

SEIU set its sights on North Carolina, where three Democratic members of Congress voted against the health care bill, by not only threatening to run candidates, but to create a whole new political party. At the time, FDL News’ David Dayen yawned at the threat, saying, “wake me when SEIU runs candidates.” Well, David, keep on sleeping. Not only is SEIU not running candidates yet, they failed to get the required signatures to officially certify the party.

SEIU has a new President. The union’s executive committee elected health care organizer Mary Kay Henry as SEIU’s first female president today, after now President Emeritus Andy Stern announced his resignation several weeks ago.

On Tuesday a radio ad hit the airwaves in Arkansas, featuring Barack Obama encouraging voters to support Blanche Lincoln in the Democratic Senate primary later this month. SEIU, which is supporting Lincoln challenger Bill Halter, cut their own ad to directly challenge Obama. You can hear the ad exclusively at Firedoglake.

SEIU President Andy Stern made his retirement official today in a video message to the 2.2 million members of the Service Employees International Union.