Text Box: From The Executive Director…   Anna Burger, International Union Secretary-Treasurer recently sent written notices to all SEIU Local Union’s in California of her intention to cause hearings to be held in order to: “…consider appropriate local union jurisdiction of California workers including possible merger and consolidation.”   This announcement has long been rumored in labor circles and as such came as no real surprise.  However, some of the rumors accompanying the announcement were somewhat unexpected.   Specifically, the national is reported to be seriously considering consolidating the two dozen or so SEIU public sector local unions in California into perhaps no more than four very large public sector local unions; two in Northern California and two in Southern California.   To put this into proper perspective one model being discussed seriously by the International Union Officers would consolidate Local

Text Box: 620 with our 3,500 Members into a large local union with perhaps a new combined membership of 76,000 + from southern L.A. County up to and including Ventura, Santa Barbara San Luis Obispo, and Kern Counties.   The national union is considering this and other similar ideas because our national leadership believes these kinds of structures with their large membership bases may be necessary in order to win for workers what smaller local unions with less “capacity” may currently be unable to do.   Our local elected leadership has discussed this and generally the initial reaction is one of concern over a potential loss of local control.  Local 620 Members elect our leaders and our leaders control our budget allocations, staffing pattern, level of service, etc. largely unfettered by regional or national authorities.   Balanced against this concern is the equally real possibility that restructuring could increase our (Continued on page 2)

 

Text Box: April 2006

Text Box: Volume 7, ISSUe 2006-1

Text Box: Page 2

Text Box: Home

From the Executive Director

1

Update from Northern Turf

3

Alcohol Drug & Mental Health Services

4

Living Wage Victory

4

Brief Update

4

County Split

5

Steward Training

6

County Split Cont’d

7