Sources within SEIU International expose plan by President Andy Stern to divert hundreds of staffers away from November election to prop up Stern’s illegal trusteeship of UHW-West.
The San Francisco Bay Guardian reports.
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The charges against SEIU President Andy Stern and Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger stem from their involvement in a campaign of retaliation against UHW that is designed to silence the voices of members and elected union leaders who have opposed Stern and Burger’s policies, and intimidate those who might also speak out.
The charges, filed under Article XVII, Section 1 of the SEIU Constitution, outline a series of inappropriate actions taken by Stern and Burger, including collaborating with anti-union employers to undermine UHW’s contract bargaining, spreading lies and propaganda about UHW’s leadership to SEIU members both within UHW and throughout the International Union, and imposing an unjustified and oppressive “monitorship” over UHW as a prelude to an unlawful trusteeship.
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The LA Times reports that yet another SEIU leader has been implicated in the widening corruption scandal surrounding Andy Stern has been forced to step down. This time, the Michigan SEIU local is involved.
SEIU spending scandal spreads to Michigan
Rickman Jackson, former official in Los Angeles chapter, takes leave of absence from Michigan local. Action comes after Times reports of payments to firms owned by L.A. leader’s family
By Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 26, 2008
A spending scandal at California’s largest union local spread to a second state Monday as the head of the union’s leading Michigan group stepped aside because of a widening financial inquiry.
The Service Employees International Union said that Rickman Jackson, who served as chief of staff at the Los Angeles organization, has taken a leave of absence from its biggest Michigan local less than a week after the president of the Los Angeles chapter relinquished his post.
Both departures followed reports in The Times that the local and a related charity paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to firms owned by the wife and mother-in-law of its president, Tyrone Freeman, and spent similar sums on a Four Seasons Resorts golf tournament, restaurants such as Morton’s steakhouse, a Beverly Hills cigar lounge and a Hollywood talent agency.
The Times also disclosed that a housing corporation Freeman helped launch used the address of a Bell Gardens home that property records show is owned by Jackson. Freeman, the housing corporation and Jackson have declined to say whether he was paid for any use of his residence.
SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette would not say Monday whether the union’s inquiry into Jackson’s activities is focused on his home and the housing corporation. The corporation did not receive the tax-exempt status it sought and lost its right to do business in California for a time. Freeman and Jackson were appointed by SEIU President Andy Stern, one of the country’s most influential labor leaders.
The LA Times also reports an escalation in Stern’s drive to crush all opposition to his centralized authoritarian control of the union. Stern has announced plans to trustee the 150,000 member United Healthcare Workers West SEIU local, which has lead the democratic resistance inside SEIU.
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Student activists on several college campuses are speaking out against one of the nation’s largest labor groups, claiming they were deceived and used as “pawns” by the Service Employees International Union.
The students’ grievances, outlined in an open letter to SEIU leadership, allege a “disturbing pattern” wherein SEIU undercut students’ efforts to help organize service workers on at least four campuses.
rest at
http://www.insidehighered.com/…
including download links to the students’ open letter and a summary of SEIU’s secret agreement with Aramark.
Tyrone Freeman steps aside as head of SEIU chapter
President of California’s largest local says it will be placed under a temporary trustee after Los Angeles Times stories reported payments to firms owned by his wife and mother-in-law.
By Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 21, 2008
The head of California’s largest union local has stepped aside in the wake of Times reports that the organization and a related charity paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to firms owned by his wife and mother-in-law.
Tyrone Freeman, president of a Service Employees International Union chapter in Los Angeles, said in a written statement late Wednesday that he was taking a leave of absence and that the local would be placed in a temporary trusteeship.
The LA Times continues its investigation this week of Tyrone Freeman, Andy Stern’s henchman in its war against United Healthcare Workers West and other internal critics fighting for union democracy. Freeman is the head of SEIU United Long Term Care Workers. The new story report on allegations of election rigging by Freeman being examined by the Labor Department.
The LA Times also reports allegations of a cover-up by the SEIU communications department of Freeman’s financial indiscretions.
Supporters of a progressive democratic labor movement should be concerned about these scandals hurting labor. Hopefully SEIU will clean itself up, with help from the reform movement.
