Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

With 1.8 million members, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in North America. Focused on uniting workers in three sectors to improve their lives and the services they provide, SEIU is the largest health care union, including hospitals, nursing homes, and home care; the largest property services union, including building cleaning and security; and the second largest public employee union.

In 2005, SEIU launched SinceSlicedBread.com, an unprecedented web site and contest that engaged tens of thousands of Americans who submitted bold new ideas to strengthen the economy and improve life for working men and women and their families. The contest attracted more than 22,000 policy ideas addressing jobs, health care, wages, retirement security and much more. And more than 40,000 people voted for their favorites.

The winner of the contest received a $100,000 check from the SEIU and a commitment from the union to work to make his idea a reality. Two runners-up won $50,000, each.

SinceSlicedBread.com sparked a wide-ranging and thoughtful online discussion about bread-and-butter issues and what public policies need to be put in place to make work pay. To keep the conversation going, SEIU encourages visitors to the web site to send their favorite ideas to their Senators, Representative and Governor and invites visitors to sort the ideas by topic so they could be sent to lawmakers.

"This contest accomplished something extraordinary," said SEIU President Andy Stern. "We got ideas from liberals and conservatives. College students and grandmothers joined the conversation. People who are unemployed and people with large incomes sent us ideas. People are hungry for this conversation. They have ideas, and they want to be heard."

To see the ideas, visit www.sinceslicedbread.com and to learn more about SEIU, visit www.seiu.org.