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NEWS & LETTERS, October - November 2008
SEIU march against dictatorial control
San Jose, Cal.--4,000 unionists from SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West (UHW) marched on Sept. 6 against SEIU President Andy Stern's undemocratic, top-down dictatorial practice and business unionism. Stern wants to take over the 150,000-member UHW by putting it under trusteeship.
One marcher said,
"I'm a Kaiser HMO worker in San Jose. We're fighting for union democracy. We want to have a voice on the job to advocate for our patients in the state of California. This is the core issue through which Andy Stern has awakened a sleeping giant. Stern wanted to remove 5,000 of our members who are home health care and nursing home care workers out of our local and place them in Local 6434, which has lower wages and benefits.
"Stern's appointees signed a contract with nursing home owners that discourages workers from speaking out about dangerous conditions in nursing homes. Stern is creating a corporate union with all power to the top decision-maker."
Another marcher said,
"We don't accept Andy Stern as our leader. I thank God for the union but I'm not for the International taking over our union voice from us. What he's trying to do is preposterous. UHW leader Sal Rosselli just started paying attention to us workers in Southern California because he needs us. He says he is for the people, but he's not. When members speak out with their own view, he jumps on them. The Labor-Management Partnership does not work. Management is afraid to be an equal with workers. We have to get back our own voice."
--Supporter
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