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A new leader was elected to head the national labor giant Service Employees International Union (SEIU) today, but it was not the favored candidate. Former President Andy Stern's right hand woman Anna Burger was expected to follow in his footsteps but instead the head of the California Nurses' Local, Mary Kay Henry, got the job. Many feel that Ms. Henry's election is a subtle signal that the SEIU wants to turn back to recruiting members and working with other labor organizations. Under Stern, the SEIU became a powerful arm and supporter of the United States Democratic Party, and will likely continue to be, but many seem eager to return to some traditional union functions. With some housekeeping to be done, including $85 million in debt, and a floundering pension program, Henry was seen as more capable of dealing with 'the bottom line' than Stern's protege Burger.