DES MOINES, Iowa, May 10 (UPI) -- Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack is being criticized for his active role in contentious labor negotiations involving the Polk County, Iowa public hospital.
Vilsack, a likely ticketmate of presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee, Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, went too far in helping his friends gain a foothold at Broadlawns Medical Center, a hospital association leader told the Des Moines Register.
But a Vilsack spokesman described the governor's actions as proper. The disagreement centers on a disputed election victory in January by the Service Employees International Union.
"Documents that came to light last month show the governor personally hammered out an agreement on which hospital employees would be eligible to vote. His role, which came at the request of the union, was significantly more extensive than has been described in the past by a former Vilsack spokeswoman and by Broadlawns Chief Executive Officer Susan Hunsaker," the newspaper said Monday.
Describing the SEIU's past support of Vilsack as being "particularly generous," the Register reported the union "has donated $55,000 to Vilsack's campaign fund, plus $193,000 to the Iowa Democratic Party, state records show."
