Sunday, May 27, 2012

SEIU 25th International Convention

This coming week in Denver, SEIU will hold its 25th convention.  This will be the first convention since the largest hostile takeover in labor history, the illegal, and ill-planned trusteeship of United HealthCare West, which sparked the National Union of Healthcare workers.

For anyone who remembers the 2009 convention(for the record, I was not there, as I was not yet on staff at SEIU), the tension and infighting was palpable, as the leaders of UHW and their allies fought in vain to place checks and balances against these trusteeships based on personal vendettas. 

I implore any member who is a delegate to fight for internal democracy reforms, especially with respect to internal elections and trusteeships.   Most locals have stacked their delegate rosters with paid staff members and appointed members who will automatically vote whichever way the local president tells them.  

For example, of UHW's approximately 105 delegates, 43 were either members appointed as delegates without receiving any votes, or are officers who are delegates by virtue.  
Those who do not vote how they are told are not invited back to subsequent conventions, and run the risk of having internal elections rigged against them - but I digress...

If you are a member who is attending the upcoming convention, I am covering the events on The Virtual Picket Line.  I am looking for someone to send me a copy of the proposed SEIU constitutional amendments and resolutions.  If you might be able to send me this information, please send me an email at unionanswers@gmail.com

At least this convention, delegates won't have to be bussed in because the international raided the largest public sector union in Puerto Rico like 2009.

In Solidarity,

Joseph

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Leftist Victories In Europe

It seems that the pendulum has begun its return back to the left side of the political spectrum in Europe.  This was evidenced via the upset victory in France by Socialist Party Candidate, Francois Hollande.  Hollande has been a staple of the Fench Socialist Party for the last fifteen years who was able to capitalize(pun intended) on anti-Sarkozy and anti-austerity sentiment throughout the country.

In Greece, while the faux-leftist PASOK's suffered heavy losses in parliamentary elections, the coalition of actual leftist groups, Syriza, placed second, winning an unprecedented 51 seats in parliament. 

Hopefully, this signals the beginning of a new leftist movement in the Eurozone. 

In SOlidarity,

Joseph