SEIU

  • Workers United Finds Membership Divided

    Author(s):
    Daniel Denvir, Paul Abowd

    Excerpt:
    The UNITE HERE secessionists have not exactly made a clean break. Their founding convention took place in Philadelphia, but not all of the union's members in the city — much less the country — were on board. . . .

    Available Online:
    Yes

  • Viewpoint: An Evening with Andy Stern

    Author(s):
    Steve Early

    Excerpt:
    It’s April Fool’s day, plus one, in what Bob Dylan once called "the green pastures of Harvard University." What does the guest, Andy Stern, think makes for a good union? “If I was being hypothetical, I’d say democracy" . . . .

    Available Online:
    Yes

  • Service Employees Union Joins Move to Break Up UNITE HERE

    Author(s):
    Paul Abowd

    Excerpt:
    The months-long tug of war within UNITE HERE continued in March as UNITE leaders seceded from the union, embraced a partnership with SEIU, and signaled they would form a new union to compete for members in HERE’s hotel and gaming jurisdictions—while snatching as many members as possible on the way out. . . .

    Available Online:
    Yes

  • Service Employees Vote to Split United Healthcare Workers-West, Members Call for Disaffiliation

    Author(s):
    Mark Brenner

    Excerpt:
    The Service Employees’ internal battle took a decisive turn January 9, when the union’s top body approved plans to split apart a big dissident California local, United Healthcare Workers-West.

    Available Online:
    Yes

  • Under Shadow of Corruption Scandals, SEIU Launches Hearings Against Dissidents

    Author(s):
    Mark Brenner

    Excerpt:
    It’s crunch time for the November election, but top officials in SEIU are struggling to focus as corruption scandals and internal divisions over a threatened trusteeship spread across the union....

    Available Online:
    Yes

  • SEIU Reformers Challenge Union’s Direction at Puerto Rico Convention

    Author(s):
    Mark Brenner

    Excerpt:
    Carrying a message of union democracy, reformers left their mark on the 2008 SEIU convention, which took place May 30 to June 4 in Puerto Rico. Opposition to SEIU top leaders’ plans to dramatically restructure the union coalesced around the newly formed caucus SEIU Members for Reform Today (SMART) and the large bloc of delegates from UHW. . . .

    Available Online:
    Yes

  • Day 2 - Anna Burger, Politics and Accountability

    Today was Anna Burger's day in the spotlight. Her stump speech was about the 2008 elections, and why politics was so important to SEIU's future. Burger, who heads up Change to Win, is apparently the czar of SEIU's political operations, and it was nice to hear her say, "There is no question that organizing and politics go hand and hand," acknowledging the link between SEIU's growth and their work in the political arena.

  • Day 1 - Teachers meet with SEIU members

    Tonight the Puerto Rican teachers held a "charla" or chat with SEIU members interested in learning more about their struggle, and the conflict between SEIU and their union the FMPR. I couldn't be there but Labor Notes Policy Committee member Steve Early was on the scene. From Steve's reports, the FMPR event sounded about as far from the highly scripted, stage-managed SEIU convention as you could get.

  • Day 1 - Time to Vote! (Long Post)

    After the division reports, International Executive Vice President Tom Woodruff closed the show, emphasizing a couple of the key pieces of the “Justice for All” program. These include:

    • Ensuring all locals follow through on constitutional commitment to spend 20 percent of their budgets on organizing.
    • Recommendations from the International Executive Board (IEB) that when bargaining with designated national employers and industry sectors, designated by the divisions, that we speak with one voice and unite our strength.
  • Day 1 - Organizing Report: Politics & Fuzzy Math

    After Andy’s speech the union turned to its bread and butter, the question of organizing the unorganized (who SEIU has determined, through focus groups I guess, we should call not-yet-union workers). Executive Vice President Tom Woodruff ran the show, and spoke about some of the strategies and key campaigns the union has on its agenda.