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January
24, 2009: UHW members assembled in meeting halls throughout California
to plan the future in response to SEIU Trusteeship Hearing Officer
Ray Marshall's recommendations for UHW. |
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UHW
members from the Bay Area and elsewhere in Northern California met
at the ILWU hall in Oakland to assess SEIU's plans for UHW. The International
Longshore & Warehouse Union has a long history of fighting for
union members' rights, and their hall was a fitting place to contemplate
UHW's future. |
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Inside
the hall, it was standing room only as UHW members listened to UHW
Administrative VP John Borsos summarize Hearing Officer Marshall's
recommendations for UHW in regard to SEIU's charges of financial malfeasance.
Marshall did NOT recommend trusteeship for UHW on the basis of the
charges, but set unreasonable conditions which, if unmet by UHW, would
result in trusteeship of our union. |
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"How
can I go back to my workplace and educate members about the Employee
Free Choice Act , when I don't have free choice in my own union?!!!!!"
--Angela Glaspar, responding to SEIU President Andy Stern's plan to
place his appointed (and unelected) trustees in charge of our soon-to-be
disenfranchised union. As long as UHW is affiliated with SEIU, John
Borsos (seated) is forbidden by SEIU regulations to propose the obvious
solution to UHW's problems, though rank and file members are free
to suggest decertification or whatever else seems reasonable at this
time. |
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"If
SEIU can't put together an organization that attracts people, they
don't deserve to represent them."
There was no
shortage of free speech during the meeting. Members lined up to
speak, some worried about life under trusteeship, all of them angry
about SEIU's attempt to destroy UHW by cutting and merging its members
with other SEIU locals. |
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"It's
time to set the captain free!" was one of many suggestions made
in support of ousting SEIU President Andy Stern. UHW members voiced
resentment at paying a large percentage of dues and COPE to SEIU under
current circumstances. |
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"We're
a member-driven, not a boss-driven union!" was a statement heard
many times during the morning. SEIU is perceived as boss-driven. |
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