SEIU Set To Realign And Potentially Lay-off Work Force

One of the nation's most influential unions is making preparations for staff cuts and rearrangements in an effort to meet challenging economic and political demands.

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is attempting to realign employees from its national headquarters to its local affiliates in the days and weeks ahead. But officials at the union acknowledge that layoffs will likely happen in the process, a product of inter-organizational realities and fiscal constraints.

"There is generally a realignment after each SEIU convention, where the member delegates vote on the program of the union and the union determines the best structure to carry out that work," said Michelle Ringuette, a spokesperson for SEIU. "Right now, I think everyone is wrestling with the challenges of this economic crisis, and like many other organizations, SEIU is also facing some tough choices."

How many employees will be realigned or let go remains to be seen. One SEIU official speculated that the process was designed to free up money for the union to make a firmer push on its legislative priorities, specifically the Employee Free Choice Act. But Ringuette noted that de-centralization is something that the union goes through roughly every four years, meaning one would be hard pressed to read too much into the budgetary significance of the move.

"We're in the middle of our post-convention realignment process," said Ringuette, "which means there are a lot of conversations taking place right now about how best to achieve the goals of the members and how to protect their interests."

A powerful and innovative force in the labor movement, SEIU represents approximately 1.7 million workers with more than 300 local branches. Its success since disaffiliating with the AFL-CIO in 2005 has been as much organizational as legislative. As such, the union often makes heavy staff and financial investments in local branches at the sacrifice of pushing policy or political items in the nation's capital. That said, the union was one of the biggest spenders during this past election. According to the Federal Election Commission, the Service Employees International Union Committee on Political Education (SEIU COPE) spent more than $45 million during the 2007-2008 election cycle.

Comments

[ChicoDavidRN]

11:32 PM on 02/16/2009

Far as I can tell from here in California, that "decentralization" and "meeting the needs of the members" their spokesclone talks about is mostly a matter of sending hundreds of staff to California to enforce martial law on a dissident local - the best, fasting growing local in all of SEIU - and to carry out a ruthless attack on my union. They're spending what must be hundreds of thousands on fake mailers and robo-calls to CNA nurses to try to interfere in our elections. This follows a pattern of similar attacks on other smaller unions all over the US. They think their size and money allows them to get away with anything, but this time they've bitten off a bigger fight than they can handle.

[msriseup]

03:04 PM on 02/16/2009

As a recently retired SEIU staffer, I can tell a million horror stories about what I now refer to as 'devil union'.
There is no doubt that from a worker's perspective, especially a low paid worker, it is far better to have a union job. Want healthcare...organize a union at your workplace. That being said, SEIU is the most undemocratic union in the U.S. Andy Stern gloats about it saying the member don't care about democracy.
To which I say...only the activists upon whom they rely to move their program. All over SEIU land there are folks trying to get out of it to join/create a more democratic union.They have forced their members into mega locals where it is impossible to influence the unions policies or progam. Furthermore, SEIU is not progressive. They are not for SINGLE PAYER! They are joined at the hip to the Democrats.They accept privatization of public services! They are involved in the charter school movement which is part of the largest transfer of public money into private hands that the U.S. has yet to witness. There is a lot of nepotism and protecting of quasi crooks until it becomes public. Have you read about Tyronne Freeman? SEIU is not a progressive force.

[spinns17]

04:20 PM on 02/16/2009

what a joke this person is.are you republican.this is the only union out there for the american worker.not even the teamsters are this outward.

[Montgriz]

04:34 PM on 02/16/2009

NO, it is not the only union. This is one badly run cesspool of corruption! I am a pro union democrat but cannot see why any civil service employee, already protected by the strongest employee benefits package in America, should have a union as well.....it is just another way for politicians to make money giving money away.....the civil service should be done away with if it so weak it needs a union...especially THIS union.

[mikevail]

01:24 PM on 02/16/2009

I give them credit for cutting jobs in DC and creating them locally. Instead of raising union dues on the members , the union is exercising moderation.
For a union to be effective , the members must participate.

[NCRDIBULL]

01:21 PM on 02/16/2009

SEIU is the strong arm Cosa Nostra of organized labor... they are big in grocery chains and force part time high school and college kids working part time to pay outrageous dues and fees with NO BENEFITS

[ohiomark]

01:00 PM on 02/16/2009

The Trees.........by Neil Peart

There is unrest in the forest,
There is trouble with the trees,
For the maples want more sunlight
And the oaks ignore their pleas.

The trouble with the maples,
(And they`re quite convinced the`re right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light.
But the oaks can`t help their feelings
If they like the way they`re made.
And they wonder why the maples
Can`t be happy in their shade.

There is trouble in the forest,
And the creatures all have fled,
As the maples scream `Oppression`
And the oaks, just shake their heads

So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights.
`The oaks are just too greedy;
We will make them give us light.`
Now there`s no more oak oppression,
For they passed a noble law,
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw


Unions cost more jobs than they save.

[lj9283]

02:08 PM on 02/16/2009

".....in 2005, (Neil Peart) described himself as a "left-leaning libertarian," and is often cited as a libertarian celebrity. He also speaks of Fox News Channel being biased towards conservatives..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Peart

[ohiomark]

10:21 PM on 02/16/2009

Your point?

Neil Peart is one of the greatest percussionists alive today and is a very good writer.

I don't care about his politics, but that song is right on the money.

[NoPCZone]

12:44 PM on 02/16/2009

Fake Union run by a fake union leader that sells out working people to cut deals with exploiters and undercuts real unions. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch.

[arspar183]

01:05 PM on 02/16/2009

u must be a bernie madoff rethuglican clone

[arspar183]

01:08 PM on 02/16/2009

p.s u must be the pig george harrison was singing about
have u seen the little piggies in their starched white shirts

[VikingQuest]

12:02 PM on 02/16/2009

So sad . . . so sad . . .

Nevermind, I don't feel that way at all.

[enochsmoky]

11:42 AM on 02/16/2009

How could they do this? What a bunch of heartless, greedy bastards. During the worst recession at least since 1993, or 1980, or 1958 or maybe 1932. Oh, I forgot, that kind of languange is reserved only for Republican businessmen.