EPCC/CFAOC REITERATES SUPPORT TO UNION DEMOCRACY/UHW-WEST WORKERS DEMANDS

EPCC SUPPORTS UNION DEMOCRACY!

EPCC News 06
January 16,2009
Contact: Jerry Esguerra
Los Angeles, CA
(818) 479-0272

EPCC/CFAOC REITERATES SUPPORT TO UNION DEMOCRACY/UHW-WEST WORKERS DEMANDS FOR DISAFFILIATION

Los Angeles-- The Echo Park Community Coalition (EPCC) and the Coalition of Filipino American organizations of California (CFAOC) reiterated its supportfor the just demand of the rank and file workers of the United Health Care Workers -West-UHW who called for a vote for disaffiliation from SEIU International.

The workers sent letters, petitions and other requests from members employed at healthcare facilities and worksites across California to the Executive Board of SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West (UHW) calling for a vote of disaffiliation from SEIU.
This after the SEIU International decision to get 65,000 away from UHW and form a long term-care union in California.

"We believe in genuine democracy-workers democracy and thus the voice of the majority of the workers is the voice of the people. Centralized bargaining is a form of one man rule and an unbridled form of autocracy in labor.." The EPCC said..

The EPCC also expressed elation that in response to these demands and consistent with provisions contained in the Service Employees International Union International Constitution. In a letter sent by the UHW to SEIU President Andy Stern , they requested that they schedule a vote of the local union's 150,000 members to formally disaffiliate from the Washington, D.C.-based SEIU.

The Workers Demands

The petitions submitted to the Executive Board cite various concerns that have led members to request the disaffiliation vote:

* The forced removal of 65,000 long-term care members from UHW;
* The stifling of union members' free speech rights;
* Widespread corruption by Stern-appointed union leaders.

In making its request, and consistent with the SEIU Constitution, the UHW Executive Board said it is not taking a position in support of disaffiliation. The SEIU Constitution, in a new section passed at the controversial 2008 convention in Puerto Rico, specifically states that "no officer or local union or affiliated body shall support or assist any efforts to dissolve, secede or disaffiliate from the [Service Employees] International Union."

In its letter to Stern, the UHW executive board acknowledges its obligations regarding disaffiliation under the SEIU Constitution, and adds that, "Nonetheless, we consider ourselves required by our duties to our members and to the SEIU to report to you that we believe there is widespread and profound opposition within our membership to any efforts to dismember our local union or to take away its rights of democratic governance..."

The EPCC and the CFAOC have mobilized it organizations and members to support the UHW in several mass actions against centralized bargaining and union democracy in southern California last year.

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