A high profile Boston fund-raiser of the Democratic National Committee is turning into a battleground between members of the Service Employees International union Local 285, the wealthy businessman who owns the nursing home at which they are employed and his wife who is cosponsoring the fundraiser. At issue is the fact that the owner of the nursing home---who who along with his wife contributed heavily to the DNC and was a guest of former president Clinton---has opposed the unionization of his workers who are paid only $7-$8 an hour and do not get medical benefits. Although the DNC intends to run the event as planned, the Massachusetts Democratic Party has withdrawn its support, and several Democratic congressman have already stated that they will not cross the union's picket line.
See FRANK PHILLIPS, The Boston Globe, November 11, 2001