Labor scholars, writers, Challenge SEIU

In May Day Letter To SEIU President Andy Stern, 100 Scholars, Artists and Writers Defend Right to “Principled Dissent” and Caution Against UHW Trusteeship

“We are writing to express our deep concern about SEIU’s threatened trusteeship over its third largest local, United Healthcare Workers (UHW). We believe that there must always be room within organized labor for legitimate and principled dissent, if our movement is to survive and grow.”

More than 100 scholars, artists and writers have signed a letter sent to Service Employees International Union (SEIU) president Andy Stern today cautioning him against placing the union’s third largest local under “trusteeship.”

The threatened International union take-over of 140,000-member United Healthcare Workers (UHW) – SEIU’s third largest local – was first reported in a front page article in the San Francisco Chronicle on March 27, based on a letter sent by Stern to UHW President Sal Rosselli, who has called for greater democratization of the union’s structure and functioning.

In their May 1 letter to Stern, the labor-oriented intellectuals note their past support for his union but
warn that “putting UHW under trusteeship would send a very troubling message.” It would, they said, “be viewed, by many, as a sign that internal democracy is not valued or tolerated within SEIU.”

“We believe that there must always be room within organized labor for legitimate and principled dissent,
if our movement is to survive and grow,” the letterendorsers said.

For text of letter, see below

# # #

An Open Letter of Concern To Andy Stern
About United Healthcare Workers-West

Mr. Andy Stern, President
May 1, 2008
Service Employees International Union
1800 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Dear Andy:

We are writing to you as journalists, authors, political activists, and educators who are committed to organized labor because of its important role in social justice struggles in the U.S. Some of us have longstanding ties to SEIU and have done research, writing, or labor education work involving its members, organizers, andlocal leaders. Those of us who deal with graduatestudents or undergraduates have encouraged younger people to pursue internships or full-time jobopportunities with SEIU and other Change To Win or AFL-CIO unions. A number of us belong to unions ourselves.

Many of us have been part of community-labor coalitions or campus-based groups like Scholars, Artists, and Writers for Social Justice (when it was still active) because we support organizing and bargaining by janitors, cafeteria workers, and other service sector employees.

We are writing to express our deep concern about SEIU’s threatened trusteeship over its third largest local, United Healthcare Workers (UHW). We believe that there must always be room within organized labor for legitimate and principled dissent, if our movement is to survive and grow.

Putting UHW under trusteeship would send a very troubling message and be viewed, by many, as a sign that internal democracy is not valued or tolerated within SEIU. In our view, this would have negative consequences for the workers directly affected, the SEIU itself, andthe labor movement as a whole. We strongly urge you to avoid such a tragedy.

Sincerely,

Michael Albert, Author, co-founder South End Press and Z Magazine
Richard P. Appelbaum, Professor of Sociology, University of California-Santa Barbara
Stanley Aronowitz, Professor of Sociology, CUNY Graduate Center
Sara Abraham, Sociology, University of Toronto

and 96 more