fuck the SEIU
By shag carpet bomb • Apr 18th, 2008 • Category: Labor StrugglesI really really really really want to love the SEIU, but this takes the cake.
April 17, 2008
Marchel Smiley, President SEIU National AFRAM Caucus 1673 Columbia Road NM # 100 Washington, DC 20009
RE: SEIU Exploits African American Women and Children at Labor Notes Conference
Dear President Smiley:
In Dearborn, Michigan on Saturday, April 12, 2008, SEIU staffers invited African American SEIU members, mostly women and children to a “rally.” However, it was not a rally. It was a dinner, featuring the executive director of the C.N.A. as a guest speaker.
These SEIU members and their children were led into the hotel where violence erupted at the initiation of SEIU staff. Why were these women and children put in harms way? Why weren’t they told the truth about their presence at this conference? Why were there only African Americans and their children invited, with the exception of the SEIU staffers? Why would SEIU create an environment of hostility rather than encourage and participate in the debate over differences.
We do not condone actions of the CNA raiding of Unions; nor do we condone raiding from any organization! We certainly do not and will not condone using children in violent, ill advised protests for any cause.
As African Americans, we are offended by any organization that would expose children to violence! The actions exhibited by SElU staff at the Labor Notes Conference sent a terrible message to the labor movement and the community at large. Violence in attacking freedom of speech must be strongly condemned. Any attempt to deny the right of free speech threatens the foundation of our movement and the future of all working people.
There was one fatality that evening, Mr. David Smith, an African American Homecare Worker and member of SEIU Healthcare Michigan collapsed and died-obituary attached.
We hold SEIU Leadership, executive vice president, Mary Kay Henry accountable! The SEIU press release quoted Mary Kay as saying, “Tonight, SEIU members stood up for the future of the labor movement and called on the California Nurses Association to stop fighting with other unions and start helping us build a stronger labor movement to help all workers reclaim the American Dream.” Another SElU leader, Thomas V. De Bruin, President, SElU Healthcare Pennsylvania, is quoted in an email he sent on April 13, 2008 as saying, “An important victory for our Union and the labor movement.” This is not responsible leadership! This was an abuse of power!
President Smiley, as national AFRAM President of SEIU, we request you to publicly denounce these deplorable actions from the leadership of SEIU at the Labor Notes Conference.
Sincerely,
Sonia Askey, Vice President AFRAM Western Region
Jesse Smith, President SEIU UHW AFRAM
Angela Glasper, Treasurer AFRAM Western Region
Lover Joyce, Vice President SEIU UHW Executive Board
shag carpet bomb is
Email this author | All posts by shag carpet bomb
SEIU certainly disgraced themselves.
Disgust aside, it’s good to know you’ve got some time for outrage.
Check that Shag bomb email. I said hi!.
Hey ? What’s the SEIU ? What happened ? Ok Google’s my god.
Ilestre, I assume google did the job. But just in case, Labor Notes’ account is here:
http://www.labornotes.org/node/1604
sorry! i’ve been wicked wicked wicked busy busy busy becoming a corporate tool — I’m good at it! whee! but also looking for a place to live, deciding whether to buy or rent, applying for jobs b/c, lo, the company i work for is selling (this isn’t so much a problem) and they are in a hiring freeze, with four people lost and none replaced in the past four months. the shrinkage mainly due to typical turnover, but doubled by the stress conditions a bad economy and a sale has put on the department, basically, the thoughts are “it’s not fun to work here anymore.” me? i don’t get their problem since i have only worked for the place when it supposedly wasn’t fun *and* i have always worked for chaotic, crazee places working on small budgets. this IS the way it works is how i’ve always seen it.
i will type more when i can but i have been doing so much training and certification and house huntng and now packing and more training and now job hunting that i’m generally wiped out. blog? i have a blog? i literally haven’t looked at my own blog since dog knows when and it was only during a break from packing boxes that i remembered: i can post this to my blog!
*big breath*
yeah. i shouldna had that cup of after work coffee.
so, how’s tricks? otherwise? i may just go chill in front of the tube now and watch the elections in pennsyltucky!
oh! also! i have a lunch meeting with someone from, oh hell, can’t remember her title. but she’s veep of something to do with IT mgmt. anyway, she pulled me out of my training in IT mgmt issues and wants to do lunch blah blah blah. i am excited cause i think this means i’m going to get involved in training or something. and through all this training, i realized how much i missed teaching. so, maybe next week i’ll know more.
meanwhile, i got a couple of weeks full of stuff passed down re: corporate policies and i am having fun working with my team to develop personal development plans. shorter shag: i am having fun mentoring. i soooo like this part of this job. mentoring. wheeee.
also, i took this conflict resolution seminar and man, what a helpful helpful helpful tool it has been. it has helped kcik ass and take names later about three times now when it comes to dealing with assholes in the workplace. yes!