See below the courageous email from Jose Escanuela, the president of SEIU Local 2007, announcing his resignation from a newly merged SEIU union because of his concerns about the lack of democracy inside SEIU.
Local 2007 is home to property service workers at Stanford University in California and was recently merged into a new mega-union, United Service Workers West, that received sharp criticism from union democracy advocates (See http://bensonsudblog.blogspot.
You may recall USWW's Secretary-Treasurer Eddie Iny, because if you try to call him he pretends to have the wrong number!
In this email to Andy Stern and other SEIU leaders, Escanuela, who comes from the rank and file, talks about a recent union election in California and why he is resigning his seat on the newly merged union.
From: Jose Escanuela <joseescanuela@yahoo.com>
Subject: RE: Garcia Vs SEIU, et al
To: garciam@seiulocal1877.org
Cc: "Alejandra Arostequi" <arosteguia@seiulocal1877.org>
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2009, 7:03 PM Mike, When I read the communication that was sent out by the staff regarding Doroteo Garcia Vs SEIU Local 1877 USWW it made me sick to my stomach, but it also made me happy. Happy to know that some of my assumptions have been correct on what the current USWW leadership, some of the rank and file cronies and a large part of the staff think of rank and file members that choose to run for office, have a difference of opinion or question the practices and policies of our Union . Assumptions that behind our back, and sometimes to our face; we the people are called troublemakers, reformistas, anti SEIU members amongst others. I applaud Doroteo Garcia and the many others that stepped up as is their right to do so and chose to participate in the elections of Local 1877. I applaud them because they had the testicular fortitude to stand up and tell everyone in their Union that they too also have something to offer to make their Union stronger. These elections resemble Mexico during the time of the Porfiriato and the Anti-Reelection movement, because like the leaders of the country back in that period, the current leadership of USWW and some of its locals work endlessly to create an illusion of democracy, while secretly ridiculing and working to quell all those that have opposing views. All we need to see now is the "Pan, o palo." I see USWW as an increasingly systematic and methodical regime and in good conscience, as a member I can no longer allow or remain silent on my responsibility to the membership of USWW to act out of principle and speak out on the way that Doroteo Garcia and others on that slate are being portrayed by some of the USWW Leadership and staff. I say this with no ill will, but with a deep sense of conviction. Therefore, my conscience leaves me no option but to resign my position as a member of the USWW Executive Board effective immediately I will continue as President of my Local, and continue to abide by the SEIU International Bylaws, USWW Bylaws, Local and Chapter Bylaws. In Unity, Jose N. Escanuela SEIU Local 2007, President |
