Monday, February 18, 2008

The Service Employees International Union doesn't give up easily.

Three dozen SEIU members and organizers, as well as would-be members, stormed the Pennsylvania Avenue offices of their nemesis of the moment, the Carlyle Group, on Wednesday.

The SEIU, with 1.9 million members, is conducting a major public relations offensive against the private-equity industry. In particular, the union is attacking Carlyle for its $6.6 billion purchase last December of Manor Care. The SEIU would like to organize Manor Care's workers.

The SEIU contingent -- chanting "better staffing, better care, no more money for billionaires" -- swarmed through the Carlyle building, jumping on and off elevators, running up stairways and trying to get into Carlyle offices in an effort to confront Carlyle co-founder David M. Rubenstein, the union's favorite target.

Rubenstein was not in the building because he was traveling, a Carlyle spokesman said.

After some heated moments, security and D.C. police escorted the union from the premises.

"Manor Care is a national chain, and Carlyle is an international company," said SEIU spokeswoman Julie Eisenhardt, explaining the union's tactics. "Their policies are going to affect seniors all over the country. So we are going to come from all over the country to take them on."

Eisenhardt and others had traveled from Chicago and from Pennsylvania to participate in the demonstration, which included workers wearing T-shirts that said, "Put Care Above CEO Profits."

Carlyle spokesman Chris Ullman said the union's goal is simple.

"These antics are all about organizing Manor Care because the many recent union elections they have had at Manor Care have all failed," Ullman said. "So they're harassing Carlyle so that we will impose unions upon the company."

-- Thomas Heath