Andy Stern

Foundation Action: Foundation Seeks Federal Investigation into Union Political Fundraising

Patrick Semmens — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:04:45 -0400

The cover story of the September/October issue of Foundation Action covers efforts by the Foundation to expose an SEIU union political fundraising scheme that coerces workers to support union politics, and to get the Department of Labor and Department of Justice investigate the scheme.

Read the whole story here (pdf) and sign up today for a free print subscription.

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Even a Big Labor Ally Concedes the SEIU May Be Breaking Federal Election Law

Will Collins — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:50:08 -0400

Yesterday, a pro-Big Labor blogger at OpenLeft inadvertently highlighted the absurdity of the SEIU's apparently illegal fundraising scheme (emphasis mine):

If the local doesn't put enough money into the national PAC, they will have to pay a penalty of regular funds out of union dues to the international. PAC contributions are voluntary and only come when members feel empowered, whereas union dues are automatic, so this is a strong incentive for locals to organize and empower their members. It's a good policy move, and it was voted on and ratified at the SEIU Convention.

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Pension Fund Mismanagement Highlights SEIU Corruption

Will Collins — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:54:20 -0400

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal had a great editorial up on the hypocrisy of SEIU leadership. Andy Stern and his cronies are more intent than ever on blackmailing unwilling companies into forcing SEIU "representation" on their employees through a series of vicious corporate campaigns:

SEIU's Irresistible Offer: Help Us or Go Bust

Will Collins — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:24:12 -0400

Regular Freedom@Work readers know that we've been following the SEIU's aggressive "growth at any cost" policies for quite some time.

This entry from the Philadelphia Inquirer alludes to the reality of what Big Labor seems to be offering these days -- help us or go bust. Although most of the article focuses on a failed attempt to unionize security guards, the author also describes the union's hostile relationship with Aramark, a food services vendor:

"In 2005, Aramark entered into a neutrality agreement with SEIU and
UniteHere, another union, Aramark spokeswoman Kristine Grow said.

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"Change to Win" Brings More of the Same

Patrick Semmens — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:54:20 -0400

An article in The New Republic points to the tens of millions of dollars being spent by union officials on politics and specifically focuses on the massive involvement by the so-called "Change to Win" union coalition in politics.

The article calls Change to Win's decision to endorse Obama an "about-face," citing Change to Win's early declarations that it would not focus on politics but on organizing. Yet, Change to Win's emphasis on politics (led by SEIU top boss Andy Stern) really wasn't that hard to predict.

In fact, back in 2005 when Change to Win union bosses split from the AFL-CIO union hierarchy National Right to Work Foundation Vice President Stefan Gleason had this to say:

Video: Nevada Nurses Decry Unaccountable SEIU Union Hierarchy

Justin Hakes — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:17:42 -0400

Following up on the recent upheaval within the SEIU union, a group of nurses from Nevada have recently put out a video decrying the disconnect between rank-and-file nurses and the union hierarchy.

Lead Advocate of Coercive "Card Check" Union Organizing Consolidating Power?

Justin Hakes — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:46:11 -0400

Following up on the internal power struggle within the SEIU union, the gnashing of teeth continues. Today's San Francisco Chronicle says that a new letter from SEIU chief Andy Stern accuses his lead critic Sal Rosseli of misconduct. The article cites Rosseli and others:

"...said the allegations appear to be a prelude to a trusteeship, under which Stern would replace the union's elected leaders with his own appointees."

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SEIU Dissident Ads Decry "Top-Down Leadership"

Justin Hakes — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:09:35 -0500

The internal drumbeat against SEIU chief Andy Stern for seeking the union's "growth at any cost" is only growing louder, as articles in the NY Times and Wall Street Journal bear out.

The Times article in particular shows how union officials often sell out workers' interests in exchange for a "card check" deal from an employer that will give them a toe hold in the workplace, and eventually the ability to compel dues from employees:

Michael Torres, a respiratory therapist at U.S.C. University Hospital
in Los Angeles, part of the Tenet Healthcare Corporation, said Mr.
Stern’s approach had hurt Tenet employees. He complained that union
leaders had sought to make a deal that called for not pushing for
pensions or retiree health coverage; in exchange Tenet would not fight
unionization of 23 facilities in Florida.

No wonder the dissention is reaching a fever pitch, with the group even running ads, brought to our attention by a reader, on the pro-forced unionism Daily Kos site decrying "top-down leadership."