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
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
I was just wondering where you got your information that locals "stack" their rosters?
ReplyDeleteThe local I referenced is UHW(post trustee-ship), and I referenced their delegate roster that is provided on their website. It lists how many votes delegates received, which delegates are selected on a "by virtue" basis, and which were appointed, as they did not receive any votes. These can be found on their website at seiu-uhw.org
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