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Fight Against SEIU Mergers Growing
THE DISSENSION AGAINST the SEIU mergers has awakened other members as far
away as the east coast and has a potential to cause even more rifts. "Fight
for 347" has received numerous requests by other affected locals of SEIU
mergers for information, advice and assistance on how to oppose the mergers
initiated by SEIU. The latest is from members of SEIU locals in Florida who
are currently involved in a merger of three SEIU locals. SEIU Local 8,
SEIU/NCFO Local 1220 and SEIU/NCFO Local 1227 which now form the Florida
Public Services Union [http://www.seiuflpublicservicesunion.org/]. In July
2004 members of 1220 contacted Tom Woodruff (international Executive Vice
President) and expressed concern over their locals leadership and thereafter
Harold (Ed) Burke (SE Regional Director) was contacted about these concerns
and how to resolve them. However, SEIU International informed the local of
their intent to do an in-depth audit on or about October of 2005 and about a
month later, the Local president closed office, and issued fat severance
checks to himself and his staff. In December of 2005 The International took
over, placed the local under trusteeship, and in 2006 promised an
"independent" audit and to return the local to a sound financial footing and
to "restore local democracy and autonomy". The promise appears to have been
an empty one and remains unfulfilled to this day. Instead SEIU has used this
unfortunate occurrence to merge the three unions and abandon it's promise to
local 1220 to restore autonomy and make things right. The other two locals,
local 8 and local 1227, allowed all bargaining unit members to vote (though
SEIU/Stern did their best to suppress the vote). Local 1220 said only union
members were permitted to vote, which PERC indicated was improper. In 2007
An Unfair Labor Practice charge was filed with the PERC and this, in effect,
currently has put SEIU's Request for Amended Certification on hold pending a
hearing on the Unfair charge. Other locals may be embroiled in similar
opposition movements and the opposition appears to be growing to other
sectors of SEIU's embattled domain. "Fight for 347" stands ready to assist
our fellow brothers and sisters, with what we've learned, in their fight to
restore what took them may hard fought years to gain, their autonomy
and.....independence!
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