The Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, has made major endorsements in the Orlando City Council races. SEIU, which represents Orlando city employees, is throwing their support behind challengers Aretha Olivarez and Lawanna Gelzer in their respective bids against longtime incumbent City Commissioners Patty Sheehan and Sam Ings. The endorsement from SEIU is definitely making a statement in the Orlando races and will likely send waves through City Hall.

Aretha Olivarez is running in Orlando District 4 against 15-year incumbent Sheehan. Lawanna Gelzer is running in Orlando District 6 against 10-year incumbent Ings.

Olivarez and Gelzer have also both accepted SEIU’s Minimum Wage challenge this week and have joined low wage workers to learn more about the difficulties and challenges facing Central Florida’s underpaid workers.

SEIU Florida Public Services Union represents 19,000 workers in eight counties, 16 cities, three Head Start agencies and four school districts across Florida. SEIU District 1199 represents nearly 29,000 healthcare, social service and public sector workers. The union is part of the Service Employees International Union whose 2 million members make it the largest union of healthcare workers and the fastest growing union in the world.

This is breaking news. Stay tuned for more.