Post by Decatur on Feb 11, 2011 12:58:53 GMT -5
Big Union to Step Up Recruiting
By KRIS MAHER - WSJ
The Service Employees International Union is planning a major campaign to recruit members and counter political pressure on public-sector unions, according to an internal union memo and an SEIU board member.
The campaign—called Fight for a Fair Economy—will focus on mobilizing mostly low-wage minority workers in 10 to 15 cities, including Cleveland, Milwaukee, Miami and Detroit, according to the memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The SEIU wants the effort to peak in the summer of 2012, with events at primaries, town-hall meetings and other campaign venues, according to the memo.
SEIU spokeswoman Inga Skippings declined to confirm that the memo reflected the final plans of the union, which has two million members, and said its strategy continues to evolve.
The cities designated for the campaign have high concentrations of SEIU members and are in states where governors have proposed cutting benefits to public-sector workers amid worries over pension costs and broader budget woes. In some of the targeted states, lawmakers are considering "right to work" legislation that would eliminate laws making union membership mandatory whenever a union is formed at an employer.
SEIU President Mary Kay Henry and other officers presented the plan in January to the union's 68-member executive board at a meeting in Puerto Rico, according to the board member. The board adopted the plan, according to this person, who was present. Ms. Henry couldn't be reached. SEIU spokeswoman Inga Skippings declined to confirm that a memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal described the final version of the union's plan, or provide spending projections.
The board member predicted the effort would cost "tens of millions" of dollars; the SEIU spent more than $70 million on the 2008 elections.
SEIU leaders say effective organizing depends on the political climate and perception of unions. "We can't spark an organizing surge without changing the environment, so that workers see unions not as self-interested institutions but as vehicles through which they can collectively stand up for a more fair economy," the memo reads.
Labor experts say the SEIU is under growing pressure because roughly half its members are public-sector workers, like home health-care aides, teachers and bus drivers.
Marick Masters, a professor of business at Detroit's Wayne State University, said recently elected officials of both parties are trying to rein in budget deficits, making those workers vulnerable to cuts.
"There is increasing dissatisfaction with taxes and the image of the public employee and the wages and benefits that they get," Mr. Masters said.
Randel Johnson, vice president for labor policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, says the public-sector pension crisis is the biggest issue facing the SEIU and other unions.
According to the memo, the SEIU wants to sign up workers in airports, hospitals, retail stores and other sectors. In what would be a significant shift, the memo discusses a strategy to "build to strikes where possible" to pressure employers during organizing and bargaining. The SEIU has generally moved away from strikes in recent years, finding them less effective than developing partnerships with management. Many public-sector workers are barred from striking, so the strike reference likely applies to private-sector workers.
The memo also says the union will push the National Labor Relations Board to shorten the time frame between when a union files for an election and when the election takes place to 10 days from an average 30 days. Unions say employers try to delay elections to weaken pro-union sentiment. Employers say the time is needed for workers to make informed decisions.
Mr. Johnson said the Chamber would challenge in court any NLRB rule shortening elections at private-sector employers, saying it would infringe on employers' free speech rights.
By KRIS MAHER - WSJ
The Service Employees International Union is planning a major campaign to recruit members and counter political pressure on public-sector unions, according to an internal union memo and an SEIU board member.
The campaign—called Fight for a Fair Economy—will focus on mobilizing mostly low-wage minority workers in 10 to 15 cities, including Cleveland, Milwaukee, Miami and Detroit, according to the memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The SEIU wants the effort to peak in the summer of 2012, with events at primaries, town-hall meetings and other campaign venues, according to the memo.
SEIU spokeswoman Inga Skippings declined to confirm that the memo reflected the final plans of the union, which has two million members, and said its strategy continues to evolve.
The cities designated for the campaign have high concentrations of SEIU members and are in states where governors have proposed cutting benefits to public-sector workers amid worries over pension costs and broader budget woes. In some of the targeted states, lawmakers are considering "right to work" legislation that would eliminate laws making union membership mandatory whenever a union is formed at an employer.
SEIU President Mary Kay Henry and other officers presented the plan in January to the union's 68-member executive board at a meeting in Puerto Rico, according to the board member. The board adopted the plan, according to this person, who was present. Ms. Henry couldn't be reached. SEIU spokeswoman Inga Skippings declined to confirm that a memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal described the final version of the union's plan, or provide spending projections.
The board member predicted the effort would cost "tens of millions" of dollars; the SEIU spent more than $70 million on the 2008 elections.
SEIU leaders say effective organizing depends on the political climate and perception of unions. "We can't spark an organizing surge without changing the environment, so that workers see unions not as self-interested institutions but as vehicles through which they can collectively stand up for a more fair economy," the memo reads.
Labor experts say the SEIU is under growing pressure because roughly half its members are public-sector workers, like home health-care aides, teachers and bus drivers.
Marick Masters, a professor of business at Detroit's Wayne State University, said recently elected officials of both parties are trying to rein in budget deficits, making those workers vulnerable to cuts.
"There is increasing dissatisfaction with taxes and the image of the public employee and the wages and benefits that they get," Mr. Masters said.
Randel Johnson, vice president for labor policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, says the public-sector pension crisis is the biggest issue facing the SEIU and other unions.
According to the memo, the SEIU wants to sign up workers in airports, hospitals, retail stores and other sectors. In what would be a significant shift, the memo discusses a strategy to "build to strikes where possible" to pressure employers during organizing and bargaining. The SEIU has generally moved away from strikes in recent years, finding them less effective than developing partnerships with management. Many public-sector workers are barred from striking, so the strike reference likely applies to private-sector workers.
The memo also says the union will push the National Labor Relations Board to shorten the time frame between when a union files for an election and when the election takes place to 10 days from an average 30 days. Unions say employers try to delay elections to weaken pro-union sentiment. Employers say the time is needed for workers to make informed decisions.
Mr. Johnson said the Chamber would challenge in court any NLRB rule shortening elections at private-sector employers, saying it would infringe on employers' free speech rights.