A friend sent along this little missive yesterday from out in Los Angeles and asked me to post it. The writer is Julie Butcher, general manager of SEIU Local 347, which represents 12,000 public employees in Southern California. The upshot: she wants the labor movement to change but isn't sure that disaffiliation is the right course. Just a view from a Local out there...
"In 2001, when Los Angeles was voting on secession, I put together a music CD with songs about staying together. Of course, the Union’s lawyer freaked out when he started to get calls from copyright lawyers after Patt Morrison mentioned our CD in her political column in the LA Times. But it’s still a fun collection: “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.” “Let’s Stay Together.” “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” “I Love LA. “ You get the idea.
However, the debate we’re hearing out of SEIU and other unions in the AFL-CIO sounds less like secession and more like the discussions we had in LA in 2001 re: Bigger is better vs. smaller is better. It looked like Bigger had won that argument, but now we’re talking about dividing ourselves from the AFL-CIO. A member joked to me recently: She asked if we were going to change the “Stronger Together” stuff to “Stronger Alone.”
At some point in every negotiation, the bargaining team comes up with a list of possible actions and tactics. A strike is always the last thing on the list. Likewise, there are other tactics to consider. Seceding from the fraternal organization of American unions should be the last resort. After all, what could we do for an encore?
Andy Stern’s analysis is absolutely right on the merits. The American labor movement is in deep shit and if there’s not drastic change, we’re toast. On a daily basis, we live the craziness of 13 international unions organizing — and then struggling to represent — local government workers. Think how powerful one BIG public workers union in LA could be.
So, I’m there, all the way up to the line, into the doorway — just not out the door. Why would we want to make ourselves smaller? Without any perceptible gain? Then we’ll create a parallel universe, reinventing every tactic and tool. That could end up costing us more than what we’ve got now.
And at a time when we’ve got so much to do?
And given the numbers and their implication? We’re at 13%, that’s 15.8 million American workers. Take out the public sector and we’re down to, what now?, 8% of the workforce? It’s a wonder anyone — let alone workers — listens to us at all. And when they do, will we be singing “Baby, Come Back” or “All By Myself”? Stay tuned…"
When did Julie Butcher originally post her point of view? I'm wondering if it was before her car was fire-bombed (see http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-carfire15jul15,1,4858909.story)?
Posted by: Mark Keith | July 22, 2005 at 02:03 PM
Wow. Thanks for the tip, Mark--I had no idea and I hope it wasn't related to her column.
Here's the whole story...
Labor Leader's Car Fire Being Probed
By Noam N. Levey
Times Staff Writer
July 15, 2005
The Los Angeles Fire Department is investigating an apparent arson attack against local labor leader Julie Butcher, whose car was set ablaze outside her home last week.
Butcher, who leads the Service Employees International Union local that represents many city employees, exerts considerable influence over Los Angeles city government and was a close ally of former Mayor James K. Hahn.
The labor leader said she was awakened at 4 a.m. July 7 by her husband, who saw her new Saturn on fire in the driveway of their Highland Park home. A charred can of gasoline was next to the car, she said.
A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman said the incident was being investigated but declined to provide any more information.
Butcher has developed a reputation as a feisty advocate for city workers, an outspoken champion of labor causes and a spirited ally of local politicians, such as Hahn.
SEIU Local 347 made nearly $69,000 in independent expenditures to support Hahn during the recent mayoral election.
Butcher said Thursday that she had "no idea" what was behind the attack but would not be intimidated.
"I make people angry at me every minute of every day," she said. "It's not going to stop me doing what I do."
On Wednesday, Local 347 e-mailed Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and City Council members asking them to condemn the attack.
"What happened to Ms. Butcher's car is troubling," mayoral spokeswoman Janelle Erickson said Thursday.
"The mayor believes the crime should be fully investigated and those caught should be prosecuted."
Posted by: Tasini | July 22, 2005 at 02:34 PM