California: Members Sue National SEIU Officers
[Read the lawsuit: http://www.seiuvoice.org/downloads]
OAKLAND, Calif., Sept 18, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Millions in union dues used to retaliate against healthcare workers and chill free speech; internal email reveals national officials trumped up charges against members of SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West to justify a hostile takeover of their union
Twenty-eight elected rank-and-file members of SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West (UHW) filed a lawsuit against SEIU President Andy Stern and Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger charging the two national officers violated SEIU members' right to free speech and equal participation in their union, guaranteed by Title I of the U.S. Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday charges that Stern "has engaged in a relentless and pervasive campaign that ... intimidated and chilled dissent and criticism of his policies, decisions and actions." Further, the suit charges that Stern used millions of dollars of SEIU members' dues money to finance this internal war aimed at orchestrating the "implosion" of the 150,000-member healthcare union.
"A union is supposed to be a way for workers to strengthen our own voices by joining together," said Michael Torres, a respiratory therapist at USC University Hospital in Los Angeles and a plaintiff in the suit. "It's unbelievable that Andy Stern and Anna Burger would go to these extremes to weaken our union and silence SEIU members. These attacks are worse than what we've seen from even our worst anti-union employer."..click to continue.
