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."

SEIU Loses More Public Sector Workers in Cali! Will SEIU Ever Learn?

Yesterday, the votes were totaled in that decert election that an SEIU staffer was blogging about on the Oakland A's blog.

The results? About 1,464 public-sector workers voted to leave SEIU Local 1021 and join a new independent union called the Marin Association of Public Employees (MAPE). You can see the vote totals at MAPE's website.

Local 1021 is a "mega-local" that SEIU created by merging 10 locals and then appointing a Stern-o-phile to run the union. After merging the unions, SEIU quickly set up a 1-800 call center to handle members' grievances. Members complained that they never saw their Union Rep.

And when workers started to form a new union, SEIU pulled out the same bag of dirty tricks that UHW members are so familiar with. Check out this letter from former Local 1021 steward Christine O'Hanlon. Sound familiar? SEIU removed workers' elected stewards, attempted to block the election, and lied to members that they would lose their contract if they voted to join the new union, etc. So Fresno of them!

Congrats to Marin County workers and your new union, MAPE!

"Hella Bullshit Has Gone Down" 1021 Gossip Time!

This started 2 weeks ago on an Oakland A's Fan blog:

It all started when an SEIU PA staffer's husband IDed another union staffer from Cali on the blog...then the gossip started flying! Turns out 1021's new leadership got rid of a lot of staff (bye bye Andy-ites!)...

So readers: who is in and who is out?

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Yeah im SEIU local 1021 staff
by designatedforassignment on Apr 28, 2010 9:15 AM PDT up reply actions

What is that, public sector?
by Nick on Apr 28, 2010 9:19 AM PDT up reply actions

yup yup!
by designatedforassignment on Apr 28, 2010 9:22 AM PDT up reply actions

Fun time to be a public sector union organizer in CA
“May you life in interesting times…”
by Nick on Apr 28, 2010 9:24 AM PDT up reply actions

if by fun you mean AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGg !!!!!!!!!!
weve been doing all internal bullshit since ive been there but it looks like we might be going back to external organizing in the private nonprofit sector soon.
by designatedforassignment on Apr 28, 2010 9:26 AM PDT up reply actions

You're an external organizer, right?
by Nick on Apr 28, 2010 9:30 AM PDT up reply actions

thats what my paychecks say
is that what im doing right now? no
by designatedforassignment on Apr 28, 2010 9:40 AM PDT up reply actions

"Come help me with my contract campaign!"
Yeah, I’ve been there.
by Nick on Apr 28, 2010 9:53 AM PDT up reply actions

yeah and there is a messy decert that im working.
by designatedforassignment on Apr 28, 2010 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions

That's the only kind there is
by Nick on Apr 28, 2010 10:31 AM PDT up reply actions

I hear there has been a pretty major housecleaning
I hope it gets better. I could tell you some stories though I probably shouldn’t
by Buck Turgidson on Apr 28, 2010 9:41 AM PDT up reply actions

Id like to hear them
Yeah everybody who was appointed by Stern got their asses handed to them in the local election. But the way the bylaws were created gave too much power to the Chief Elected Officer so were dealing with that shit now.
by designatedforassignment on Apr 28, 2010 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions

and so it goes
I couldn’t deal with the intrigue so I left.
by Buck Turgidson on Apr 28, 2010 9:46 AM PDT up reply actions

Been bad for a long time
But it is unspeakably bad right now.
by Buck Turgidson on Apr 28, 2010 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions


Today:


I voted for you to get out of your basement
However, knowing your work situation I’m glad you have a little free time to hermit in your hovel. Thanks for the piece.
by Buck Turgidson on May 17, 2010 2:34 PM PDT reply actions

funny you mention work
Pretty much all of the Org dept senior team just quit/got fired today.
by designatedforassignment on May 17, 2010 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions

who's the new director?
I’d love to hear your take – if you have time to shoot me an email.
by Buck Turgidson on May 17, 2010 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions

Dont know yet
It was just announced today. Hella bullshit has gone down. Ill send you an email.