Also interesting:
LEGAL ANALYSIS OF SEIU UHW-W’S RULE EXCLUDING RANK-AND-FILE MEMBERS FROM RUNNING FOR DELEGATE POSITIONS
Background on the UHW-W Delegation Election Process
UHW-W: The Fight for Democracy
And this:
Voting Problems within Labor
by: Matt Stoller
Andy Stern's SEIU International has found legitimate voting problems with a California local, United Health Care Workers West and the delegate selection process to the national convention to be held later this summer. It's a significant escalation of the fight that has been going on for a long time. The central premise of UHW's 'theory of change' is that union democracy and member involvement is critical for the legitimacy and long-term growth of the labor movement, so the allegation by SEIU International is a serious charge.
of course it is purely opportunistic that Stern finds fault with UHW delegate selection process. this is a fight for top down control. Doesn't mean I support UHW in any way. The fact is Local 250, prececessor of UHW was a top down staff driven enity, and the statewide UHW follows the logic of SEIU practice of creating gigantic entities that workers can't control.. again, it's a power struggle among the bureaucrats.
SEIU Local Union UHW-W Intentionally Excluded More Than 95% of Rank and File Members from Participating in SEIU Convention
Undemocratic UHW-W Delegate Election Process Illegal Under Federal Law
SEIU Asks UHW-W to Re-Run Election to Ensure Full UHW-W Delegation Is Seated, Can Participate Fully at Convention
WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 95 percent of the rank-and-file members of SEIU local union United Healthcare Workers West (UHW-W) were intentionally excluded by UHW-W from running for delegate to the SEIU International Convention, a violation of multiple federal laws because it undermines member democracy.
The illegal and undemocratic election process affects an estimated one third of UHW-W’s anticipated 146-member delegation. Approximately 2,000 delegates total are eligible to participate at the SEIU Convention, to be held June 2-4 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
In rejecting a protest over the election process filed by one of their members, the UHW-W Election Committee stated the decision to exclude rank and file members was made intentionally, saying “…UHW specifically did this to insure that the people who know the most about the Union and are most actively involved in it would be delegates.”
Today, SEIU International Secretary Treasurer Anna Burger sent a letter to UHW-W alerting them to the illegal election process and calling on UHW-W to re-run the delegate election to ensure that a full UHW-W delegation is seated at the SEIU Convention. The letter states, “My sole aim with this notice is to enable the timely enfranchisement of the rank-and-file members of UHW-W at the SEIU Convention.”
http://www.seiufactchecker.org/news/Undemocratic_UHW_Delegate_Election/default.aspx
http://www.seiufactchecker.org/Admin/Assets/AssetContent/af84b9b3-2462-4948-bf19-93b7bf0b3653/546bfa9e-94e2-495f-9d30-54cc81f55e47/8ac808cd-efc6-406f-81d4-2fa2dda26af0/1/080415_AB_letter_to_UHW-W.pdf
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SEIU Local Leaders to UHW-W Election Committee:
'Democracy Begins At Home'
Leaders of three SEIU local unions have called for a committee from SEIU local union United Health Care Workers-West (UHW-W) to apologize to UHW-W members for a deliberate and undemocratic effort to exclude the rank and file from participation in delegate elections for the SEIU International Convention.
http://www.seiufactchecker.org/Admin/Assets/AssetContent/af84b9b3-2462-4948-bf19-93b7bf0b3653/546bfa9e-94e2-495f-9d30-54cc81f55e47/7869336d-c2a0-4455-b453-d49d93a2478a/1/Open%20Letter%20to%20UHW%20Election%20Committee.pdf
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Home Care Workers Call On Activist Group to Denounce UHW Attempts to Bar Member Participation in Union Election
As union member criticisms of a delegate election by United Healthcare Workers-West escalate, home care workers are calling upon a group of SEIU activists to denounce illegal attempts by UHW to bar rank-and-file members from participating in a recent election for delegates to the 2008 SEIU convention.
http://www.seiufactchecker.org/Admin/Assets/AssetContent/af84b9b3-2462-4948-bf19-93b7bf0b3653/546bfa9e-94e2-495f-9d30-54cc81f55e47/12e18e4a-962a-418f-a98b-7078f9a3bec9/1/Letter%20to%20SMART%20from%20775NW%20members.pdf