SEIU 1021 Aims Carefully, Shoots Self In Foot...

One of the important parts of running a union is making sure that everyone has the information necessary to make an informed decision when it comes to voting on contract matters.

Recently, the members of SEIU 1021 had an opportunity to take such a vote in the City and County of San Francisco, where Gavin "Goodhair" Newsom is attempting to close a fair-to-middlin'-sized hole in the budget. In order to do this, he needed to get some concessions back from one of the main public employee unions, that being SEIU 1021. Regrettably for Mayor Goodhair, the rank-and-file at 1021 rejected the proposal, which included some additional furlough days as well as adjustments in the holiday structure.

It looks now like Goodhair will instead be forced to institute layoffs, and his staffers are not being bashful in the least about indicating who they feel is to blame for this upcoming debacle...

Newsom spokesman Nathan Ballard blamed the layoffs - which will affect workers in most city unions - squarely on Service Employees International Union Local 1021. SEIU represents more than 11,000 city employees.

That union voted 56 percent to 44 percent this week to reject an agreement negotiated by union leaders that included keeping a 3.75 percent pay increase. But the deal would have eliminated holiday pay for 11 days in 2009 and 2010 - though workers would still receive time and a half if they worked holidays and would get to accrue nine floating holidays. The deal also would have meant no layoffs until after Nov. 15.

There was more than $38 million at stake: City officials thought that if SEIU agreed to contract concessions, other unions would follow suit, saving the city a total of $90 million. Much of that money would have come from delaying or canceling planned raises.

"Because SEIU (1021) didn't ratify the deal, now we have to scramble to balance the budget, and unfortunately that means layoffs," Ballard said. "Everyone needs to do their fair share, and unfortunately the sensible tentative agreement we had entered into with SEIU fell apart."

Some of the fun can now be seen in reading the commentary threads on SFGate.com, including a little bit of old-fashioned Haterade being directed at The Plague from its own members...

once again, bad leadership reprenting the masses have jeopordized hundreds of families and likely has lengthened the soup lines city wide. nice work SEIU glad to see you had your memberships best interest at heart over the politics as usual mentality. It's no wonder unions are basically useless these days.
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SEIU is a horrible, horrible union. Their interests are in lining the pockets of the union "leaders." Silence and keeping information from those they are supposed to represent is standard practice in that union. I ought to know, I'm a member. I do not work for the city, but SEIU is currently negotiating with my employer, and they have instructed those on the bargaining team not to tell the rank and file what is being discussed. This from the people who force me to join their union and take money from every paycheck I earn. Based on my direct experience as an SEIU member, the blame for this should be laid at the union doorstep. They have done a lot to further the loss of respect towards unions.
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The tentative agreement between the City and SEIU went down because it was designed for failure. The bulk of the rank and file of SEIU 1021 are basic people trying to feed their families. The agreement they were asked to vote on was unnecessarily complex, inflammatory in asking people to give up all their paid holidays instead of asking for furlough days which would have evoked less emotion. A few simple tweaks would have turned a close vote positive.
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I was a City employee for 20 years and a member of this Union for 20 years. This is one of the worst Unions in the City! They do ABSOLUTELY nothing for member. All of the business reps make more than the majority of the members and DO NOTHING for it. This is a real shame. May be the business reps will take a pay cut too or be laid off.
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Very bad job by SEIU - they sure aren't earning that money they pull out of peoples' paychecks. I and five colleagues "represented" by SEIU 1021 didn't even knew when or how to vote in this. The only information we ever received about these negotiations were from our managers a month ago and we were told a vote would happen. I guess it did - while we were working...
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1021 only wants the dues from the members, no interest in what the members want. 1021 couldn't get it's own dog out of the pound. time for all 1021 members to switch unions! local 21, are you listening?
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Union rank and file, learned of the proposals barely a week before the vote and the wording made no sense to most members. Explanatory meetings were held but no notice was given, no directions given to where the meetings were being held and when members finally found the meeting, the room was too small to accomodate. Blame the union heads for this failing. They didnt clearly explain why a "yes" vote was necessary. Additionally, blame old workers who need a golden handshake-they voted no because they are safe from layoffs due to seniority and only care about retiring. They should be allowed to retire immediately to save younger, more productive workers....
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Good work SEIU! From your pathetic attempt to make your members more money, you have just got hundreds fired. And since all the other unions were going to follow suit with 1021, you have helped in getting more city employees lose their jobs. I hope you ignorant party bosses get mugged by one of your former members one night!
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I am a city employee for SEIU 1021 and pretty low on the totem poll. I voted yes for the cuts so that people would not lose their jobs-YET. Why did it not pass? because the union members were lied to, given incorrect information from ill-informed union reps and every time they gave us a revised agreement it was worse and worse. We get 9 paid holidays not 30-get the facts straight before spewing out lies please. Maybe instead of cutting services to the people who are paying the taxes we should cut back on things like Healthy SF that give free (and in most cases it is FREE) to illegal aliens who do NOT pay taxes. Making SF a sanctuary city was one of the dumbest mistakes EVER. Are the supervisors getting pay cuts or for that matter the Mayor? I totally agree with getting a new union-we need someone that is looking out for us, not for themselves! Most people i know in the union were willing to make the concessions when the first 2 agreements came out-too bad they didnt let us vote then...

One has to wonder how much attention to detail is being taken away from the organizers of SEIU 1021 because of the UHW Trusteeship fight.

A quick check of the 1021 website to get their side of the story results in the following...



I honestly feel pity for the people in 1021 for being so ill-served.