Unions Forge Secret Pacts With Major Employers

Khawaga " - not a legendary physicist."
Posts: 994 Joined: 07-08-06
Submitted by Khawaga on 11 May, 2008 - 11:56.

What a surprise...

Quote:
Two of the nation's [USA] largest labor unions have struck confidential agreements with large employers that give the companies the right to designate which of their locations, and how many workers, the unions can seek to organize.

The agreements are raising questions about union transparency and workers' rights. A summary document put together by the unions says it is critical to the success of the partnership "that we honor the confidentiality and not publicly disclose the existence of these agreements." That includes not disclosing them to union members.

From WSJ.

the button "jesus christ, john, have you actually even read any marx?"
Posts: 5636 Joined: 07-07-04 Location: Lewisham, London
11 May, 2008 - 12:09
Quote:
The unions are the 1.7 million-member Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, and Unite Here.

RedHughs
Posts: 208 Joined: 25-11-06
11 May, 2008 - 20:50

Yeah,

This is "raising questions about union transparency and workers' rights" (article quote).

Also, when one secret scheme comes out, one could reasonably guess that other secret schemes exist.

H "The beaurocrats coming! Quick, back to work!"
Posts: 171 Joined: 05-02-07 Location: Nomadic, California, USA.
11 May, 2008 - 23:34

This is fucked up news!

How can we go about busting these sell out unions? We, at the very least, should get out there and disrupt any organizing campaigns they are attempting.

Who is with me?

H "The beaurocrats coming! Quick, back to work!"
Posts: 171 Joined: 05-02-07 Location: Nomadic, California, USA.
11 May, 2008 - 23:43

"The agreements, which expire at then end of 2008"

Oh for fucks sake. They have fucked over the workers who didn't have a union to began with for months on end. This is a travesty against democracy.

Randy ""Spreading the Gospel of Sausage Gravy.""
Posts: 453 Joined: 31-01-07 Location: East By-God Kentucky, USA
12 May, 2008 - 00:42

Stern said... "If workers want a union we can discuss that. Trust me."

the button "jesus christ, john, have you actually even read any marx?"
Posts: 5636 Joined: 07-07-04 Location: Lewisham, London
12 May, 2008 - 07:34

The arrogance of these unions to sign up to deals that apply to organising "anywhere in the world," is astonishing -- at least one of those companies has operations in the UK.

jonnylocks
Posts: 62 Joined: 13-07-07 Location: USA, Brooklyn
12 May, 2008 - 08:08

- Open Letter to Andy Stern signed by academic types (Zinn, Chomsky, etc.) (http://savefile.com/download/1552639?PHPSESSID=)
- DOL findings referenced in preface below (http://savefile.com/download/1552642?PHPSESSID=)

==========

Preface to attachments:

SEIU Brothers and Sisters, and Friends,

The (attached) open letter addresses SEIU President Andy Stern's threat to put United Healthcare Workers-West, into trusteeship. UHW-West is the largest SEIU local union supporting a broad platform of democratic reforms in SEIU, and trusteeship would mean that the local's large block of delegates would be barred from participating in the SEIU convention this June. The open letter appeared as a full page ad in the New York Times.

We note that Stern is making no similar threats against SEIU Local 1107, despite the (attached) Labor Department findings of serious violations of federal law in their recent convention delegate elections. Local 1107's officers have supported Stern's program, which has forced undemocratic mergers of many SEIU local unions, and replaced hundreds of elected leaders with appointees and union staff, loyal to Stern.

Members of SEIU Member Activists for Reform Today (SMART) are organizing rank and file SEIU members in local unions throughout the United States and Canada to support democratic reforms at the SEIU convention in Puerto Rico and beyond. As supported by the open letter, we insist that a full discussion and debate take place at this year's convention to address recent revelations of secret deals, sweetheart contracts, violations of election laws, and problems faced by our co-workers in undemocratic mergers and trusteeships. The attached statement by prominent and respected academics and journalists also clearly expresses our belief that union democracy is critical to the future success of SEIU, and to the entire labor movement.

For more information, contact SMART at http://www.reformseiu.org/ or info@reformseiu.org (Attention : Zev Kvitky, president of SEIU Higher Education Workers, Local 2007), or call (858) 270-8067.

[See also front page article in May 10, 2008 edition of Wall Street Journal, "Unions Forge Secret Pacts With Major Employers" at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121038122486582367.html ]

JOIN US !

Solidarity is Built on Democracy,
Monty Reed Kroopkin
SMART organizer

Alan "Getting drunk, playing punk on a stylophone"
Posts: 5056 Joined: 28-09-04 Location: Mexico City
12 May, 2008 - 17:28
H wrote:
This is fucked up news!

How can we go about busting these sell out unions? We, at the very least, should get out there and disrupt any organizing campaigns they are attempting.

Who is with me?

What a surprise, the clique aroudn the union hack defending the bullshit of their institution using anti-worker, pro-boss arguments.

H "The beaurocrats coming! Quick, back to work!"
Posts: 171 Joined: 05-02-07 Location: Nomadic, California, USA.
12 May, 2008 - 23:41
Alan wrote:
H wrote:
This is fucked up news!

How can we go about busting these sell out unions? We, at the very least, should get out there and disrupt any organizing campaigns they are attempting.

Who is with me?

What a surprise, the clique aroudn the union hack defending the bullshit of their institution using anti-worker, pro-boss arguments.

Stop being reactionary, we need to put an end to these two unions, that have turned out to be nothing but a right wing farce, wrapped in populism.