Presidential candidate Barack Obama went to work this month with a home care aide as part of the Walk a Day in My Shoes initiative sponsored by the Service Employees International Union.

The SEIU has invited all the presidential candidates to accompany one of its members for several hours to learn more about what their job involves, and about the difficulties of living with low wages and inadequate benefits. Senator Obama accompanied Pauline Beck of Alameda, California, a mother of six children who earns $10.50 an hour and gets no sick time, overtime, or vacation pay. ”After spending a day with me, I hope Senator Obama sees the energy home care workers give to their clients, and what it takes to raise a family as a single mom,” she is quoted as saying on the SEIU’s website.

”The priority that Pauline placed on having paid sick leave reminds me of how important that is to the workforce as a whole, many of whom are in her position and don’t have paid sick leave,” he says in an SEIU video of the event (see above).

As reported in the May 17 issue of Quality Jobs/Quality Care, candidate John Edwards spent a day with a New York nursing assistant as part of the same initiative. Other candidates have accompanied low-wage workers in other professions.

Elise Nakhnikian, Senior Online Editor
enakhnikian@phinational.org