1021 Won't give up $2 Million for the Kaiser Election!

SEIU officials have begun pressuring SEIU local unions into forking over millions of dollars and their entire organizing staffs to run SEIU's campaign against 45,000 Kaiser workers who are trying to join NUHW.

SEIU recently asked SEIU Local 1021 in Northern California to cough up $2 million and all of its organizing staff.

But not so fast, Dave Regan and Mary Kay Henry! Yesterday (July 26), Local 1021's Executive Board rejected SEIU's request by a vote of 24 to 2!

Check out a Local 1021 member Harry Baker's comments about SEIU's demand, which was sponsored internally at the local by a 1021-er named Patrick Ikeda, including a reference to the half million dollars that former leaders of Local 1021 contributed to the Fresno homecare election last year. Since then, a slate of reformers swept Local 1021's officer elections and removed Stern's appointed trustee.

Here are the comments:

Do we now take loyalty oaths in SEIU?

If Patrick wants to try to trick me and others into showing our support for NUHW, hey pal, you got me. I support now and always have supported bottom-up, member-run unionism. I oppose now and always have opposed UHW and our Washington SEIU office interfering, as they now very clearly are doing, in Local 1021's internal affairs. The campaign theme that our Change 1021 team ran and won overwhelmingly on was, "Make 1021 Member-Run!" Not "Make 1021 Stern-run!" Not "Make 1021 UHW-Run!" Not make 1021 Henry-Run!"

Brian's comments of a day or two ago were right on point. He reminded us that this time last year UHW and then Stern-controlled International SEIU tried to pull us out of the California Central Labor Councils in support of UHW and actually succeeded in Alameda County. Brian added, "If we were not in the [San Francisco Central Labor Council] this last budget battle, can you imagine the possible cuts and layoffs or the ability to fight [Politician] Jeff Adachi's attack or passing the Hotel tax on our own? ... Does 'support' mean like in the Fresno campaign where...half a million [Local 1021] dollars and numerous [Local 1021] staff resources were sent last year and this will be a much bigger fight and much more costly."This time last year UHW and then Stern-controlled International SEIU tried to pull us out of the California Central Labor Councils in support of UHW and actually succeeded in Alameda County."