Last week,
386 municipal workers in the City of Chula
Vista (the 2nd largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area) voted by more than a two-to-one margin to leave SEIU
Local 221 and instead join an independent union.
The final
tally on the vote, which was conducted by California’s Public Employment Relations Board, was:
Association of Chula Vista Employees (ACE): 163
SEIU Local 221: 81
No Union: 4
Why did
workers vote to decertify SEIU?
An article
in a local newspaper (The Star News,
“Muni
union members consider a break,” April 1, 2017) offers some insight:
Esteban Barajas, a Chula Vista public works employee and a full dues paying member with SEIU, said he wants to see his union break away from SEIU because he said they do not properly represent Chula Vista Employees when they are needed, and are only around every three years during contract negotiations and he said SEIU does not give CVEA a fair share of money. He said SEIU receives about $250,000 annually as part of CVEA’s union dues.
“We’re supposed to be on the top of the food chain so why are they getting $250,000 and we are over here living off of top ramen soups?”
Workers at
the City of Chula Vista are just the latest group to decertify SEIU
Local 221. In recent years, at least eight other bargaining units have bolted
Loco 221 including…
1) San Diego
Community College District
2) City of
San Marcos
3) City of
La Mesa
4) San Diego
County’s Probation Officers Unit
5) San Diego
County’s Crafts
Unit
7) San Diego
County’s Construction,
Maintenance, Operations and Repair Unit
