Going Rogue: The Envelope, Please.

So, who was the "rogue bargainer" that MK was referencing in yesterday's article in The Nation?

The Nominees are:

A. Mary Joyce Carlson- Mary Joyce was the lawyer for the SEIU in Tenet negotiations, according to some she signed the sellout TAs with the employers.

B. Jim Philliou-Jim was, according to some, at the table for these negotiations, and was maybe the person who signed the TA (can't really get a straight answer on this fact.) Jim also, according to some, worked on a lot of sell out nursing home deals, so maybe this is where he cut his teeth!

C. Mary Kay her self!--MK was, in fact, in charge of these negotiations. Tasty can't imagine a world where Mary Kay just doesn't notice a "rogue bargainer" in her midst, working on her campaign.

D. All of the above-It takes a Village to ruin a union.

And the rogue bargainer is... D. All of the Above!

P.S. For those of you who didn't remember what the selling out on Tenet was about...It goes more or less like this: Tenet was bargaining nationally with SEIU for Cali, Florida and Nevada-as well as over organizing rights for other states.

In Cali, Tenet was nervous that UHW would bargain a contract that reached the same standards as other UHW contracts, including retiree health and a defined benefit pension plan. Since Tenet had massive financial and corporate issues they proposed to SEIU that they would give everything to UHW, except retiree health and the pension, in return for SEIU to have organizing rights in TX, et al.

The members of UHW mulled this over and voted to do accept that deal-thus working for less benefits as other UHW members, for the greater benefit of workers in other states. Generous, no?

But then some "rogue bargainer" kept bargaining away those standards that Tenet swore they would grant the Cali workers, in exchange for the workers conceding on some standards. And any time the Cali workers objected to the way that the national bargaining was undermining what the workers had agreed to--SEIU via Mary Kay accused UHW members of being into "just us" instead of "justice," as they love to say.

Eventually, SEIU and Tenet agreed to let California bargain with Tenet at a Cali only table. At that time the workers held to their agreement: achieved all of the standards, except retiree health and pension-and workers in other state got the right to join SEIU.

P.P.S. That WAS the short version.