HERE President John Wilhelm on the UNITE - HERE merger: Our members are the same people: service workers, immigrants, African-Americans, living in the same neighborhoods all across North America. Together with UNITE, we can grow faster. Together, more service workers will achieve the American dream. And together, we will have the strength we need to bargain with giant global corporations. ...This is a non-traditional merger of two non-traditional unions. Our outstanding members and staff are recognized even outside of the labor movement; both unions are regarded for their work on behalf of progressive causes.The HERE Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride brought together activists of every stripe,and UNITE is largely responsible for developing the anti-sweatshop movement in the U.S.and Canada. UNITE President Bruce Raynor: This merger substantially increases our ability to fight for the rights of our members and the tens of thousands of new members that we will represent in the future and to make sure that America’s working families share in the success of the world’s richest nation.We are stronger together at the bargaining table,at shop floors,in city halls,state capitals and in Washington, DC. ...when it comes to struggles with companies that refuse to do the right thing by their workers, we are not afraid to dig in our heels. We are known for outsmarting and outlasting even the toughest companies. We both have aggressive organizing campaigns underway and the merger will allow us to intensify and expand these efforts. We need unions that are dynamic and powerful enough to take on the big corporations that are dominating the lives of Americas families.