Last week's fascinating and extremely well-done Huffington Post piece about the progressive movement and power in light of the last year plus of the Obama administration, along with a trip to California that I did to go to a board meeting and fundraising event for the Congressional Progressive Caucus Foundation and 501(c)4, has been making me think a lot about what progressives will need to do to build power in the coming years. Add to that this stunning news about Andy Stern deciding to retire as SEIU President, and it's a big day for thinking about the progressive movement.
Andy's tenure as SEIU President has been a dramatic reminder of both the promise and frustration of trying to make progressive change in 21st century America (disclaimer: OpenLeft partners on a financial basis with SEIU from time to time). Before he ever became SEIU President, he was an integral part of making SEIU the fastest-growing union in the country, and of the dramatic and surprising insurgent campaign inside the AFL-CIO to force Lane Kirkland's retirement and then beat his heir apparent Tom Donahue. Since becoming President, he has been a co-founder of a series of huge new progressive organizations (including America Coming Together in 2004, the Democracy Alliance, America Votes, and Change to Win) that have moved several hundred million dollars into progressive organizing, and he has helped both end Republican rule in Congress and elect a Democratic President against two of the most powerful entrenched establishment figures in DC (Hillary Clinton and John McCain). The 2009 stimulus package that invested hundreds of billions of dollars in long-time progressive priorities, the federal budget that was the most progressive budget since the 1960s, and a universal health reform bill all had Andy as prime movers. He is President Obama's closest progressive ally, and former SEIU staffers are distributed throughout the Administration.
But for all that, the limits to progressive power are clear. The labor movement has not seen a dramatic resurgence in new membership or political power. The stimulus package was too small to keep the unemployment rate from rising to the 10% range and being stuck there for months. The health care bill was deeply compromised by health insurance and pharmaceutical company power. Other top SEIU priorities like financial reform, the Employee Free Choice Act, and immigration reform are yet to pass and will be far weaker than they should be even if they do pass. Corporate power in DC is still ascendant, and progressives for the most part feel ignored by the White House.
None of this is Andy's fault, but his story is the quintessential story of the modern progressive movement. He, and we, have been able to shake things up, create innovative strategies and institutions, get some good things to happen. Our accomplishments should not be discounted or trashed, even when we have fallen short of our ultimate goals. But we have yet to truly change the essential power dynamics in this country. The simple fact is that change in this era is complicated as hell. Those who think that any one strategy- electing a President, getting a majority in Congress, complaining about that President and Congress, lobbying that President and Congress, innovative organizing or media or online tactics, or anything else- will get the job done is fundamentally wrong. It will take all of this and more: we have to be constantly opening up new fronts in the battle, changing our tactics, adding to our progressive infrastructure.
What is most important is that we don't give up the fight. All of the disappointments I have written about above do not make the progress I mentioned any less valuable or important. A Democratic Congress is better than a Republican one. Barack Obama is a better President than John McCain would have been. Establishing a right to universal health care and ending discrimination based on pre-existing conditions is a step forward. Hundreds of billions of dollars into low-income programs and jobs and education and green jobs is better than not funding those things at all.
Figuring out new strategies for increasing progressive power is our challenge, but we can stand on the platform of what's been built by Andy and progressive movement activists all over the country.
Love your analysis Jon, but I think you're wrong on this one. Your thinking is based on what are a number of flawed theories about third party runs and the Ralph Nader presidential run.
First, I totally and wholeheartedly support labor if it decides to make third party runs at the congressional level. The easiest and quickest way for third parties to make a splash is running at the congressional level. Labor should have its own party, period. Especially now.
This week, the White House teamed up with healthcare industry giants for a two-day PR blitz on health reform. A coalition of industry leaders sent a letter to president Obama over the weekend, pledging to help contain healthcare costs. The signatories include PhRMA (drug makers), Advamed (device manufacturers), the AMA (doctors), the AHA (hospitals), AHIP (health insurance), and SEIU's Health Care project. The corporate signatories are the very same interest groups that have fought U.S. healthcare reform for generations. AHIP, America's Health Insurance Plans, helped torpedo the Clinton plan in the 1990s with the infamous "Harry and Louise" TV spots.
This week, President Obama made headlines by reversing George W. Bush's executive order barring researchers who receive federal funds from researching all but a handful of stem cell lines created before 2001.
"Promoting science isn't just about providing resources, it is also about protecting free and open inquiry," Obama wrote. "It is about letting scientists like those here today do their jobs, free from manipulation or coercion, and listening to what they tell us, even when it's inconvenient especially when it's inconvenient. It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology."
I hear the chants in my head. When I need them, they come to me.
This line is especially true right now for the former members of United Healthcare Workers-West. We are the union. A week and a half ago, many of my sisters and brothers and I slept in our union hall, before the hostile takeover by our International, SEIU. As we held our hall, my sisters and I worked to maintain our union. We fended off anyone SEIU sent to weasel their way in without warrants. We planned how we'd move forward during an imminent occupation: how we'd communicate with each other; how we would reach deep into our membership to take our union back.
It occurred to me that night hunched over the bare desks in the communication department office, the union solidarity posters hanging behind me, that though we had been member leaders up to that point, stewards and activists for union democracy, something had changed. This was a sort of matriculation, graduation day.
{Amy Thigpen and members of UHW are sleeping in their union halls across California tonight due the threat of imminent seizure of those buildings by SEIU International, which instituted a takeover of UHW West today.}
Last night I slept on the kind of carpet you don't really want to examine too closely. It's splotched with decades of coffee stains and salsa and too many conversations still seem to hang in the stale air, but there I was, curled up on my air mattresses in the union hall in downtown Oakland, the home of United Healthcare Workers West, my union. On my right my sister the Medical Assistant slept peacefully, on my left my sister the Call Center Representative, across my sister the Ultrasound Technician, and my sister the Optical Technician. All of them healthcare workers, member leaders and officers in our union. I realized that I loved this stale, stained room, with carpets held together by duct tape, I love the room because it holds the waking dreams of my sister and brothers in UHW-W. The place may be held together by duct tape but we as a union are held together by something stronger.
SEIU President Andy Stern has received authority from his international executive board of toadies and flunkies to impose a trusteeship on the 150,000 members United Healthcare Workers West (UHW). This is a punitive trusteeship imposed to silence dissent from Stern's policies of centralizing power in Washington DC and doing secret backroom deals with corporate CEOs against the interests of members. Stern is sending hundreds of union-busting scabs to California (selected SEIU international union staffers) to attack and destroy UHW, despite months of massive rank and file protests by union members.
UHW is calling for massive resistance in the workplaces to Stern's scabs.
All real trade unionists everywhere should solidarize with UHW and defend the principle of union democracy.
Stern's crackdown comes at a horrible time - by identifying union leadership with authoritarian tactics suppressing democracy, it makes it much harder for other unions to win much needed labor law reforms in Congress. Progressives should protest to SEIU and tell them "Respect the Right of Dissent - Hands Off UHW!"
Another article about the ongoing fight for union democracy against the corrupt authoritarian cultist dictatorship of Andy Stern in SEIU.
UHW is United Healthcare Workers West, a 150,000 strong California SEIU local. UHW has been a leader in organizing and in winning good contracts. SEIU international president Andy Stern declared war against UHW when UHW leaders sspoke out against Stern's sell-out pro-corporate deals that hurt workers in the health care industry. Since then there has been escalating attack on all forms of dissent within SEIU, and several close Stern cronies have been forced to resign due to corruption scandals involving the theft of millions of dollars from members.
More info at
www.seiuvoice.org
-Jimmy Higgins
Progressive Outpouring for Roselli, SEIU-UHW
by Randy Shaw‚ Nov. 19‚ 2008
A Who's Who of progressive San Francisco came out to honor SEIU-UHW last night, striking a defiant stance against efforts by SEIU International to change the local's leadership. Hosted by Dolores Huerta, John Burton, Clint Reilly and Aaron Peskin, it was attended by a long roster of labor and political leaders including Mark Leno, Tom Ammiano, Ross Mirkarimi, Sophie Maxwell and Eric Mar. Billed as a "Salute to Union Democracy," it raised $240,000 for SEIU-UHW's fight to maintain its local control. The party followed the end of the latest round of SEIU hearings into UHW's alleged malfeasance, a process that could put the local into international trusteeship. But last night confirmed that SEIU-UHW is prepared for a lengthy fight. John Burton, who raised $40,000 for the local, captured the crowd's mood, sending a public message to SEIU International leader Andy Stern that "if you strike the king (Sal Roselli), you better kill him."
My question to Stern was whether the current crisis in the auto industry changes the politics of health care. Stern pointed out that the cost of health care is easily demonstrated by going across the border from Michigan to Canada, and that health care is now an issue that is crippling our international competitiveness.
In the early days of the Western Frontier there was no law on the range. Lack of written law made it necessary for early settlers, frontiersman, and Cowboys to frame some, thus developing a rule of behavior, which became known as the "Code of the West".
Today much of the "Code of the West" has been forgotten, is antiquated, or is all together irrelevant, such as the parts of the "Code" that state, "Remove your guns before sitting at the dining table". "Cuss all you want, but only around men, horses and cows". Or my personal favorite, "Always fill your whiskey glass to the brim", (single malt please).
But there is one part of the "Code" that I believe is powerful still today and relevant to the threatened Trusteeship of UHW West. It states, "Don't make a threat without expecting dire consequences." As you well know, the early pioneers and settlers had worked hard under brutal conditions to establish roots and seek prosperity and I gather threats were not taken lightly.
Today the frontier is the workplace, the pioneers are the members and leaders of UHW West, and the bandits on the range are Andy Stern, Anna Burger, and the team of International officers and staffers that have threatened, not only take away all that we have worked so hard to build, but also to snuff out the last voice for worker democracy by imposing an unjustified Trusteeship.
We don't take kindly to their threats.
To those would be "bandits" who may be under the misguided belief that taking from us what is rightfully ours; what has been built by us; and what was paid for by us, will some how be a walk in a park for you. Don't be fooled. You would be wise to consider the "dire consequences" of your actions.
We are not afraid of you and your bullying tactics. We have seen what you are capable of. We know you will stoop to violence to get your message across as demonstrated by your behavior at this years Labor Notes Conference in which one of our union brothers died needlessly as a result of your despicable actions and a union sister was sent to the hospital after an assault left her with a severe head wound requiring several stitches.
We have worked too hard, fought too long, and sacrificed too much to allow you to destroy what does not belong to you. We will protect what is ours with every ounce of our being. We will fight you with every legal means at our disposal. We are committed to the ideals that have protected our patients and benefited our families and co-workers. We will never abandon those ideals as you have.
At UHW West we have a code similar to the "Code of the West". And it goes a little somethin' like this, "pardner".
"When You Take One Of Us On. You Take All of Us On!"
SEIU leader loses post over scandal
Service Employees International Union removes head of Michigan
local who has been tied to spending probe of L.A. chapter.
By Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 15, 2008
In my years as an activist member with SEIU United Healthcare Workers - West I have been a part of many struggles for working people. But in the last months we have been in a different kind of fight. We have stood up to the arrogance of Andy Stern, Anna Burger and other SEIU International officers who, in an attempt to flex their muscles and stifle dissent, have chastened many rank-and-file members and our local, United Healthcare Workers - West with the threat of trusteeship. But I will say now, organized union members will never be intimidated by anyone, International Union officers included. We will stand up to anyone.
I saw this stifling of members' voices at the SEIU Convention in Puerto Rico from the moment we entered the convention center, when our delegation was harassed and followed. I saw this as the Convention voted to move me and other workers out of my union and into corrupt Local 6434, ignoring our right to decide where we belong. The hundreds in Puerto Rico voted to move us 65,000 from California. But we were not intimidated then.
UHW member Ella Raiford, protesting the Convention's vote to force members out of UHW.
In response, we came out in force. At our mass demonstration in Manhattan Beach, where we organized 6000 members to protest another sham hearing, I personally went up to Anna Burger and confronted her, telling her that we will not be swayed and demanded that Stern and Burger meet with our membership. We aren't furniture, we can't be moved around on their whims. We weren't surprised when she said no to a meeting. We stood strong in front of them, never scared.
My UHW brothers and sisters protesting the International's plans to divide us in July.
We continued on to Madison, Wisconsin, where a group of us were determined to meet with SEIU International. We continued in our demands for a meeting with Andy Stern, and to our surprise he agreed to meet us for a brief talk. But he said very little to us, claiming that he couldn't say anything without his lawyers. Instead of our elected officers working for us, Andy and Anna wanted the lawyers to do their job, so they could wash their hands when we pressed them with questions. When faced with dozens of informed, angry union members, maybe our International union officers were intimidated by us!
We confronted Andy Stern; me right after our meeting with him.
And most recently, I and fifty other UHW members occupied the SEIU International office in Alameda to demand answers from out-of-touch union officials who support taking away our voice. We shouldn't be afraid to confront them -- they work for us!
Us confronting International officials at the SEIU Office in Oakland.
This is a movement of union members who have one goal: to keep our democratically run union, UHW, where we make decisions. I and others in our union have confronted our bosses and won, through the power of organized union members. We are not afraid to take on any fight, even against SEIU International officials.
JuanAntonio Molina
Proud UHW Member
In-Home Healthcare Provider
San Francisco, CA
Why Is Andy Stern Helping John McCain?
(cross posted at Calitics.com)
With all the attention that SEIU has received over rampant corruption in its largest California local, 6434 formerly headed by the disgraced Tyrone Freeman, and Michigan's largest healthcare Union also formerly headed by, yet again another disgraced leader (Rickman Jackson), and now most recently the resignation of one of Mr. Sterns newly elected top International Vice-Presidents, Anelle Grajeda, for diverting members dues to her former boy friend, one must ask the question: "who does Andy Stern really support for President?" At first glance at the current situation with SEIU Andy Stern's pick as our next President may seem unrelated to the corruption within SEIU. That is, until you examine closely how Mr. Stern has acted upon the alleged corruption within SEIU.
Instead of aggressively pursuing all available remedies to rid the corruption within the aforementioned SEIU locals and getting back to the business of electing a pro-worker candidate he has instead chosen to expend the vast majority of SEIU's resources in a personal vendetta against arguably one of SEIU's most successful union locals, SEIU-UHW West.
Why? Because SEIU-UHW West dared to hold Stern and his "Team" accountable for the inherent promise that SEIU be of the members, by the members, and for the members.
SEIU-UHW West has engaged Stern for close to 3 years in an internal debate over union governance that has challenged the destructive direction Stern has moved SEIU towards. SEIU-UHW West attempted to sound the alarm during the recent SEIU convention in Puerto Rico by bringing to the floor measures that would have ensured and preserved member governance, oversight, and participation at the highest levels of SEIU.
Unfortunately, Stern and his "Team" choreographed a textbook campaign that vilified SEIU-UHW West's platform as centric only to the needs of SEIU-UHW West and devoid of any conscience for the plight of unorganized workers. He stated that SEIU-UHW West was only interested "in polishing their apples". Nothing was further from the truth. In fact the platform put forward by SEIU-UHW West expanded the powers of its members and was a threat to Stern's lust for control, power, and centralization of decision making within SEIU.
Second only to 1199 NY in its COPE contributions (member voluntary political fund) to the International, the leader in California COPE dollars by double the states locals average, and the fastest growing local in SEIU, SEIU-UHW West, instead of being utilized by Stern to ensure that we elect a President sensitive to the needs of the working class, is instead under a vicious and completely baseless attack from Stern and his appointed henchmen and surrogates that includes a threatened trusteeship on false charges of financial mismanagement.
It is important to note that this is Stern's second bite at this apple. The international recently had their proverbial heads handed to them in the highest court in California on this very issue.
The court ruled that the International had no basis for their claims and dismissed all relevant claims made by SEIU with prejudice. Put simply, the court told Stern and his "Team" not to ever bring this frivolous matter before the court again. So now Stern wants to drag SEIU-UHW West thru the mud in an attempt to discredit them as well as distract attention away from the more serious previously mentioned malfeasance (and long known by Stern) of his handpicked appointees, Tyrone Freeman, Rickman Jackson, Annelle Grajeda.
With so much at stake in this years election one must wonder why a personal vendetta against SEIU-UHW West is the highest priority for Mr. Stern. At the SEIU convention in Puerto Rico this year, delegates endured wave after wave of self righteous indignation opposing SEIU-UHW West's desire to debate internal jurisdictional issues. At stake was the very essence of what it meant to be a healthcare worker; the ability to advocate on behalf of patients, better staffing, improvements in working conditions, and the right to choose in a fair and democratic process what union local to be represented by.
Stern surrogates and appointees made statements calling SEIU-UHW's arguments selfish and self-serving. One even stated, "People are dying right now as we waste time debating these issues. We have work to do! Let's get to work!" Staffers from the SEIU continued to echo this same tired line at nausea throughout the debate process.
Certainly the work of electing a progressive pro-working class president falls into the category of "work to do". And if it does why, with the incredible political fight before us, would Andy Stern sideline his second biggest political weapon against four more years of Bush's failed policies in order to carry out a personal vendetta against SEIU-UHW West?
Stern has time and again issued the battle cry against corporate greed, affirmed his commitment to lift workers out of poverty, and boldly stated that SEIU will lead the battle to get universal healthcare and pass perhaps one of the most ambitious pieces of legislation ensuring workers rights to organize (EFCA).
So it defies logic that at the most critical time in the election process, where so many peoples lives depend on the outcome, Mr. Stern would allow himself to be consumed with forcing a trusteeship upon a union local that has a long and proven history of, not only adhering to the values he claims to hold dearly but, excelling at those same values.
And why would Mr. Stern schedule the Trusteeship hearing, not only during the most critical time of the general election but on the exact same dates (September 26-27) that the Obama campaign is attempting to mobilize California supporters to participate in a canvassing effort in neighboring "swing state" Nevada, where Obama trails McCain by 1 percentage point?
It begs the question, who ultimately wins if Mr. Stern allows himself to take action against a union local who has the power to help end eight years of failed economic and foreign policies? And whose' hopes ultimately die if we fail?
Andy Stern prides himself on being a leader in the progressive majority movement. However, his current actions fly in the face of his alleged progressive values. He is jeopardizing real reform in our labor movement to fulfill a personal grudge. These are hardly the qualities of a true progressive and reformer, and certainly not the qualities that will bring hope and "Justice For All".
Todd Beeton and Calitics covered some of the United Health Care Workers West (SEIU-UHW) leadership conference in San Jose. This was a significant convention because the possibility of a trusteeship by SEIU International is real, and the gathering was the first chance bloggers had to test the mood from the first line elected leaders of UHW.
At 2 million strong and growing faster than any other international union based in the US, SEIU is a union that funds and powers much of the progressive movement. UHW is the third largest local within SEIU, and the fastest growing (h/t to bignoise). With recent corruption scandals enveloping various locals, International President Andy Stern has pledged to consult labor reform groups to work on an internal code of conduct and watchdog commission, according to Paul Pringle of the LA Times.
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