Union in Dispute Over Layoffs
By Alec MacGillis
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 19, 2009; A08
As it helps push for legislation that would make it easier for workers to organize, the country's fastest-growing union is engaged in its own labor dispute with employees it is seeking to lay off.
The Service Employees International Union, considered the most influential union in the nation, has notified the union that represents about 220 of the SEIU's national field staff members and organizers that it is laying off 75 of the employees.
In return, the workers union, which goes by the somewhat postmodern name of the Union of Union Representatives, has filed charges of unfair labor practices against the SEIU with the National Labor Relations Board....
...The dispute comes at an awkward moment for the SEIU, which is helping lead the push for the pro-labor Employee Free Choice Act, also known as "card check." Under Stern's leadership, the union has grown to 1.7 million members as most other unions are shrinking. Stern further elevated his profile as a possible savior of labor in 2005 by arguing that the AFL-CIO had become too complacent, and breaking off the SEIU from the AFL-CIO to form a coalition with several other unions....
...Harris said his union's understanding is that the layoffs are the result of budget troubles faced by the SEIU, which, on top of the California dispute,
spent $80 million during the 2008 election and is planning to spend tens of millions more to advocate on behalf of Obama's health-care plan and card check.
...
Fewer than half of the workers at SEIU chapters are unionized, and Harris's union's contract with SEIU forbids it from trying to help organize SEIU employees in local chapters.
The SEIU's national office has been contracting out more and more work to a staffing agency, Harris said, including advocacy for card check. He said it looks as though SEIU is trying to phase his union out of existence.
SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said the contracting is limited and denied that SEIU is trying to undermine the workers union.
"That would be the cynical way of looking at it," she said.
Things Have a 'Twilight Zone' Feel To Them
Reply With Quote
