The Taft-Hartley Act was in effect at this point in time which meant that unions were required to sign affidavits claiming that they were not harboring any communists. For this reason, it was unusual for two communist party members to be the leaders of the SEIU 1199. Leon Davis and Elliot Godoff were very tough-minded people and are the reason for the militant and demanding style of strikes exhibited by the New England edition of the SEIU.
The Taft-Hartley Act was in effect, requiring unions to declare they did not have communists within their ranks. This made it rare for two communist members to lead SEIU 1199. Leon Davis and Elliot Godoff were very strong-willed individuals who shaped the aggressive strike style of the New England branch of SEIU.