10 Questions for Andrew Stern

In 2000, we had about 20,000 SEIU members who signed up and volunteered to make phone calls, knock on doors, drop literature. We had very few leave their homes [to campaign] in 2000. We just assigned some of our staff. This is the first time we asked rank-and-file members and paid them for the time away from their job to participate full time around electoral activity. That was a big change. We call them the SEIU heroes.

HAVE YOU BEEN TO CHINA?

Yes, several times. We are spending time with Chinese unions so they won't adopt a U.S. model with the attitude of "I've got mine, and the devil take the hindmost." The idea that the rich get richer and somehow wealth is going to trickle down is a bankrupt economic and moral theory.

ADRIEN BRODY PLAYED A CHARISMATIC SEIU ORGANIZER WHO WINS THE HEART OF A BEAUTIFUL LATINA JANITOR IN THE MOVIE BREAD AND ROSES. WAS THAT YOU?

No. I get credit for a lot of things I shouldn't. That was another SEIU organizer named Jono Shaffer.