More than 300 UHW workers and allies rallied and picketted the SEIU International mock elections at the Radisson LAX Hotel last night Dec. 11 in Los Angeles. World War II veterans and leaders from JFAV and other community advocates from the Filipino American community joined the UHW rally. UHW president Sal Roselli reported that the UHW submitted more than 80,000 signatures to protest the mock elections. He said less than 10% voted. More than 40,000 protest signatures was earlier submitted to SEIU International against the elections.
Faith Based Groups Add Their Support to Prominent Union’s Platform for Change (tags)
Faith based organizations from across the country have lent their support to a California union’s fight to keep the labor movement democratic. United Healthcare Workers–West (UHW–West) is involved in a major dispute with its international union, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) over member involvement and democracy. The UHW–West Executive Board, led by President Sal Rosselli, recently ratified a Platform for Change that outlines a strategy to build a democratic, member-run union with the mission of truly improving workers’ lives. The faith based groups supporting this effort believe that UHW-West’s platform is the best way to ensure that workers have a real voice in running their unions. “The absence of individual voice leads to a dictatorship, said Archbishop Eric Tan Ong Veloso. “That is the reason we support UHW-West leaders Sal Rosselli and Administrative Vice President Jay Valencia’s principled stand for the union and its members.”