SEIU vs "an unusually militant union"

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#32
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thugarchist's picture
thugarchist
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Mar 16 2008 17:29
Black Badger wrote:
Three years ago at my workplace (ambulance service) there was a vote to ditch the SEIU local in favor of a smaller (but growing) craft union. The SEIU had been our union for about eight years but had done almost nothing for our shop; for instance when I went through the new-hire orientation, there was no union rep to welcome us and let us know anything about the union, how to file grievances, or vote for shop stewards--or even to let us know who our shop stewards were. We just had to enroll in the union and give them monthly dues. They were completely invisible. So we voted them out. Twice, because they contested the fairness of the first election to the NLRB.

The union we have now is handling the upcoming contract negotiations and they've already discovered (and are moving to reverse) serious irregularities with our health coverage. SEIU organizers seemed much more interested in keeping the larger contingents of hospital workers in the Bay Area happy than with how the EMTs and Paramedics were getting screwed by our bosses. That the CNA was able to manifest the same discontent and break away from SEIU at almost exactly the same time is probably not a coincidence.

I am not arguing for craft unionism (and I have encountered plenty of anti-elitist nurses in ERs who feel the same, who recognize the intertwining interests of CNAs, LVNs, orderlies, janitors, etc), but SEIU has a history (at least locally) of ignoring many sectors of the healthcare industry to the point of outright alienation, and those who feel ignored are then pretty much forced to organize themselves for themselves. Militancy has very little to do with it, at least from my perspective. It's more about regular (that is, non-radical) workers wanting a union (if they want one in the first place) that actually looks out for them. SEIU/UHW has shown a rancid disregard for too many people. When the CNA strikes (and another 10-dayer is scheduled soon), the bosses bus in scab nurses, and the quality of care suffers (even anti-union patients say as much when they get quoted in the local media). Plus the strikers yell and wave dollar bills at them, which makes good TV. But that's not really militant either if we understand militancy to be pushes for rank-n-file decision making and revocable delegates, etc.

Yeah. I took a look at some of the UHW AMR contracts a couple of years ago. Pretty crap. I had an AMR shop in another state as well. Also crap. There was some sort of plan to do a national emergency services union but they mostly sucked too. Problem with ambulance companies is that they're more industrially related to firefighters than they are to the healthcare business but the IAF are against organizing them. It would make a lot more sense than SEIU. The way the contracts for services are handed down just aren't done the same way that other healthcare jobs are.

The CNA isn't a break away union. It was part of a national association of nurse craft unions that have been around for a long time. Currently there's something of a war within that association and the CNA is breaking away from the other nurse only unions. They raided another nurse only union in Illinois a couple of years ago as I recall.

#33
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mikus
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Mar 16 2008 20:12

Thanks for the info BB. My mom was a phlebotomist in the SEIU for a long time (until changing workplaces, she's no longer in a union) and the way she described it was about the same as you (union did nothing, invisibility except on her paycheck, etc.). She hated (and still hates) the union with a passion.

I'm not convinced about the issue of industrial versus craft unions in this specific instance. Obviously if there were radical rank n file activity it would have to be industrially based rather than craft based (because it's impossible to organize on a class basis in craft unions), but it's not like the SEIU is organizing workers into class based, class conscious organizations either. They are all about partnership with management. Industrial unionism opens possibilities that are not open to craft unions but it doesn't mean that there is an automatic radicalism adhering to industrial unions. This might have appeared to have been the case a 100 years ago but I don't see how we can still believe this today.

(That said, I have no real opinion on this conflict between the unions since I haven't worked in that workplace and don't know the contracts.)

#34
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petey
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Apr 2 2008 22:37

an article very sympathetic to UHW: http://www.counterpunch.org/early04022008.html
i don't know the characters involved, and don't want to appear to be taking a side, so i'll leave yiz to read it.

#35
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onthemarch
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Apr 4 2008 17:51

Without getting into that whole controversy, I would just say that the linked article should be read with the understanding that Steve Early absolutely HATES SEIU. Even more than his Trot friends in Solidarity.

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thugarchist's picture
thugarchist
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Apr 6 2008 13:22
onthemarch wrote:
Without getting into that whole controversy, I would just say that the linked article should be read with the understanding that Steve Early absolutely HATES SEIU. Even more than his Trot friends in Solidarity.

I've given up reading Steve's articles at this point since Ithey just annoy me. Just like to note that nearly ever critique of SEIU he writes (not all but close) he complains that SEIU hires too many college kids and then goes on to say rank n file this and that for pages. Steve came out of the new left movement in the 60's. When he finished grad school he took a job as a business agent for the mine workers union and then eventually left them to go work for CWA where he's become a relatively influential and powerful bureaucrat over the years. Trots are funny.

#37
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pghwob
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Apr 6 2008 14:31

Steve's a good guy. I worked with him briefly on a campaign. He does seem committed to involving regular unit members as organizers.

#38
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thugarchist's picture
thugarchist
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Apr 6 2008 18:29
pghwob wrote:
Steve's a good guy. I worked with him briefly on a campaign. He does seem committed to involving regular unit members as organizers.

He's a fucking scumbag opportunist with an agenda from his trot party.

#39
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Black Badger
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Apr 7 2008 00:17

Just because somebody is "nice" doesn't mean that s/he isn't a political manipulator or opportunist. Most of my friends and allies are cranky and often unpleasant, but that shouldn't be a decent criterion either.

#40
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pghwob
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Apr 14 2008 00:07

I didn't say he was nice. Read my post.

#41
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pghwob
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Apr 14 2008 00:08

So who were the SEIU folks who hospitalized at least one person at the Labor Notes Conference?

#42
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MJ's picture
MJ
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Apr 14 2008 01:56

oh now everyone's going to get upset when workers actually get militant

#43
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mikus
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Apr 14 2008 04:27

Militant = reactionary union organizers beating up slightly-more-reactionary union organizers?

#44
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MJ
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Apr 14 2008 04:48

hey don't mess with my trap

#45
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chimx
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Apr 14 2008 20:13
Quote:
Seriously. say what you want about big bad business union SEIU but SEIU rejects craft unionism and rejects the seperation of workers by class sub-stratification. CNA are a bunch of scumbags and have a fascinatingly close relationship to Sal Roselli at UHW. Interesting timing on all this activity from CNA. 1 raid, 3 decert campaigns, and this ohio bullshit all in the last few months... same amount of time Sal's been openly at war with his own union.

The SEIU is an anti-democratic piece of crap. How dominant is the CNA actually in California? I know RNs down there make well over $50/hr, whereas SEIU RNs here in Washington and Oregon make around $27 or $28. Do they see that kind of success outside of California?

Quote:
Three years ago at my workplace (ambulance service) there was a vote to ditch the SEIU local in favor of a smaller (but growing) craft union. The SEIU had been our union for about eight years but had done almost nothing for our shop; for instance when I went through the new-hire orientation, there was no union rep to welcome us and let us know anything about the union, how to file grievances, or vote for shop stewards--or even to let us know who our shop stewards were. We just had to enroll in the union and give them monthly dues.

That's pretty amusing, because when my girlfriend joined the SEIU, a union rep was scheduled to give a presentation during the orientation process for the newly hired nurses, and well, the rep didn't show up or bother to contact any of the new members.

But at the same time in Ohio, the CNA has not been working with nurses to organize after they came in and muggled up the elections, leaving the nurses unionized and feeling pretty disenchanted with both unions. It seemed more like the CNA didn't really give a shit and was just looking to fuck with the SEIU. Someone please correct me if they have heard otherwise.