Andy Stern, president of the labor giant Service Employees International Union, surprised his union and Democratic organizations this week by announcing plans to step down. Stern has been the president of the SEIU since 1996, and, in an era when many unions have shrunk, added 850,000 union members during his tenure. Stern played a dynamic role in the election of President Obama and currently serves on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. He has been described as both electrifying and polarizing and has been politically crucial for the Democratic Party. Politicians and officials are confident that the SEIU will continue to be a force without Stern, but admit that the transition period won't help them. Stern's likely successor is Anna Burger, the current secretary-treasurer, and the long-time right-hand-woman of Stern.
See "Andy Stern to Step Down as Chief of Politically Active Union", Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, April 13, 2010