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Will Stern strong-arm unions to join the SEIU?

posted at 2:00 pm on February 19, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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Politico notes that Andy Stern has chosen a strange time to start infighting among labor to expand his power. With the EFCA, known better as Card Check on the docket, Stern has launched a potentially distracting tug-of-war with Unite HERE, a union with plenty of internal problems as it is:

It’s a moment of great promise for the labor movement, with a friend in the White House and its biggest legislative goal seemingly within reach for the first time in a decade.

But Andy Stern isn’t exactly pausing to soak it all up.

Instead, Stern, the president of the Service Employees International Union and perhaps the labor movement’s most prominent national leader, is marking these heady days for labor by jumping head-first into a nasty internecine dispute — proposing that another major union end its civil war by merging into the SEIU.

The result could mean expanding Stern’s already powerful union into a 2.5-million-member megalith.

Some in the labor movement question why Stern is choosing this very moment to wade into the increasingly contentious fight within the ranks of Unite HERE — suggesting that the good times are the wrong time to put forth an image of top union leaders squabbling over how best to expand their ranks.

Actually, Stern sees it much differently. He sees this moment of Hope and Change as the perfect time to “settle all accounts”, as a fictional “community organizer” put it in an Academy Award-winning movie. With a Democratic Congress and Barack Obama in the White House, Stern sees clear sailing for Card Check. The fact that he’s willing to get involved in this fight shows that Stern doesn’t believe he needs to provide undivided attention to get Card Check through Congress — not exactly a soothing point for its opponents.

How has Stern helped heal union rifts in the past? This interview with former United Health Workers organizer Alexandra Early might give a good perspective. Go to about the 48-minute mark and you’ll hear her describe the brotherhood demonstrated by Stern’s SEIU:

Q. Well Andy Stern is now supporting this Employee Free Choice Act, EFCA. Why don’t you talk about that and your experience with that in relation to what you’re going through now?

A. We’re actually going to have a rally about this on Wednesday because there’s been a lot of stewards who’ve been punished because they’ve been putting out petitions, moving petitions in their facilities to try to get a vote to decide what union they want to be in. For example there was a steward who was threatened by their new representative; their representative threatened the steward by saying, ‘if you keep on moving that petition, I’m going to have you suspended.’ This was the union representative talking to his steward. Speaking like a boss. …

Q. So the SEIU, Andy Stern’s official agent from outside California was telling a worker in California, a shop steward, that he would be suspended if he continued getting signatures for a petition?

A. Yes, and Dave Regan said to us in his meeting on Monday, the Monday after the union was taken over, he said that any stewards that were moving this petition, they should be removed from their title. These are elected stewards that Dave Regan is going to decide who needs to be removed from their position as steward. So they’re saying, “Oh EFCA, all workers should have a free choice to join a union,” but, you know, except for California and members of UHW because those workers shouldn’t have a free choice.

Q. And if they had a free choice, what do you think the vote would be?

A. I mean, their idea of a free choice and a free vote, it would say “Do you want SEIU UHW or do you want SEIU UHW,” you know? Because their vote last time of home care nursing home workers, which we boycotted and sent protestors in—there were more protestors than there were votes—in this last election the choices were “Do you want to have your union divided into nursing home and homecare workers separate from hospital and Kaiser workers or do you want your union to be trusteed?” That was the choice. There was no [option to say]: “I want things to stay the way they are and I want to keep on enjoying the rights I have in the union now.” There was no choice. And they called that a fair vote.

Q. That was a democratic vote according to Andy Stern and his people?

A. That was a democratic vote. Right.

Feel the Hope and Change of the new administration. We can expect more of these tactics once Card Check gets passed in Congress. It’s practically a blank check for Stern and the “Union Boss Bills” of the labor movement.

Previous posts on Card Check:

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Will Stern strong-arm unions to join the SEIU? — But As For Me

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So what if people are IN a Union and like their job but hate the Union? Does it work in reverse if they and other try to get OUT of the Union?

blah….

upinak on February 19, 2009 at 2:02 PM

In a weird sort of way this is good news. If they make a total mess of things they will focus all of their attention on each other and leave the businesses alone. If we are lucky the labor unions will try and attack each other for the next few years and if we are REALLY lucky we can put some Republicans back in office to put a check on Card Check.

txaggie on February 19, 2009 at 2:08 PM

upinak on February 19, 2009 at 2:02 PM

Nope. My mother-in-law is teacher with 30+ years experience. She hates that the teachers’ union giving money to “certain” political candidates. Although, she loves the $10 co-pay on Rx (she was uber-p!ssed when they went up $10 from $2).

Dr.Cwac.Cwac on February 19, 2009 at 2:08 PM

The more important question is: will Stern use card check to overturn right to work laws, and unionize the Japanese and German car makers’ plants in the southern US?

Vashta.Nerada on February 19, 2009 at 2:10 PM

Bababooie!

playblu on February 19, 2009 at 2:13 PM

I asked this on another thread. How long before the Democrat Party membership unionizes…using the card-check law?

genso on February 19, 2009 at 2:13 PM

Stern was at the White House last night for cocktails. Details at Politico.

rockmom on February 19, 2009 at 2:16 PM

Won’t it be great when we have card-check rules in our public elections, complete with a few grinning thugs standing nearby?

Bishop on February 19, 2009 at 2:17 PM

……… Jimmy Hoffa?

Seven Percent Solution on February 19, 2009 at 2:20 PM

It could also mean that these guys aren’t sure that Card Check will pass, and are concentrating on increasing their power in the only way left. By absorbing other unions.

I’ve read that many Democrats only voted for Card Check the first time because they knew that Bush would veto it.
With Obama, it might actually pass, and they will have to answer to their constituents.

MarkTheGreat on February 19, 2009 at 2:21 PM

So what if people are IN a Union and like their job but hate the Union? Does it work in reverse if they and other try to get OUT of the Union?

upinak on February 19, 2009 at 2:02 PM

If I get out of the teacher’s union here, then I cannot participate in collective bargaining with my school board over contracts. How fair is that?

Nope. My mother-in-law is teacher with 30+ years experience. She hates that the teachers’ union giving money to “certain” political candidates. Although, she loves the $10 co-pay on Rx (she was uber-p!ssed when they went up $10 from $2).

Dr.Cwac.Cwac on February 19, 2009 at 2:08 PM

I don’t really get any benefits being a union-member other than cheap life insurance.
Supposedly we can opt-out for any of our dues going to political purposes. But I’m not stupid-I know they use it for that anyway.
I get the NEA magazine as an NDEA union-member & I can tell from the reader letters there are many of us dissatisfied teachers.
Many of us do not like the NEA endorsing candidates.

Badger40 on February 19, 2009 at 2:23 PM

Many of us do not like the NEA ~~endorsing~~ buying candidates.

Badger40 on February 19, 2009 at 2:23 PM

There you go.

genso on February 19, 2009 at 2:26 PM

I guess Andy Stern figures he’s not a target in the Blago sting. How many decades will it take to unlock the multiple handcuffs to be imposed by the Great ~~Society~~ Audacity.

Mark30339 on February 19, 2009 at 2:27 PM

Unions originally came about to address a need of the people, who were being exploited by the Aristocracy. They have since supported the dumbing down and inefficiency of our workers so they could easily be manipulated to keep the Union Aristocracy in power.

Former union member and former manager of union employees

DL13 on February 19, 2009 at 2:40 PM

DL13 on February 19, 2009 at 2:40 PM

I disagree. Unions were a communist front in this country from day one. The labor laws that you speak about would have come about on their own politically and soon enough. Unions were formed to do exactly what we see them doing now.

genso on February 19, 2009 at 2:43 PM

Actually what is needed is a national right to work law but soon card check will have the effect of voiding the state laws where RTW is in effect. Then watch as the foreign automakers established in RTW states pack it in and give their jobs back to workers in countries with more friendly environments.

Annar on February 19, 2009 at 3:09 PM

The unions own the Dems; sad to say, I fear passage of Card Check is in the ~~cash~~ bag.

redfoxbluestate on February 19, 2009 at 3:21 PM

Here are some people who are doing something about the EFCA:
http://www.spinpolitico.com
There is an effort to organize Tea Parties too. No taxation without representation! http://otp2009.ning.com/?xgsi=1

Christine on February 19, 2009 at 3:27 PM

Wait, “International”? The union that runs the government is “International”?

Count to 10 on February 19, 2009 at 4:03 PM

What do you mean ‘WILL the SEIU strong arm other Unions?

Of course they will.

Next up: AFSCME followed by UAW (which will be a Government employee soon)

SeniorD on February 19, 2009 at 5:51 PM

The SEIU ought to be investigated under RICO. Even the L.A. Times exposed its corruption in an L.A. chapter. When a union is so corrupt the Times exposes it, you’re talking serious wrong-doing.

Lou Budvis on February 19, 2009 at 6:08 PM

The SEIU is suing the state of AZ for daring to lay off workers because of the budget crisis former Governor (now Homeland Security czar) Janet Napolitano left us.

jgapinoy on February 19, 2009 at 6:46 PM

It’s against the law for Unions to organize in Congress – staffers, aides, etc. Apparently Congress thinks it would be too disruptive!

I say what’s good for the goose….

TN Mom on February 19, 2009 at 8:38 PM

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