The progress and problems of the newly opened-up 721 Governance Committee. This Committee is charged with composing the Constitution and By-laws of SEIU local 721. Is this committee fulfilling it’s purpose so far? What’s your opinion on this committee and it’s current direction?
It does indeed appear that supporters of the existing regime will continue to dominate the Governance Committee. Our members in Los Amgeles made a bad strategic error in demanding immediate equalization of dues. Now, the people who are payign less are highly motivated to participate. Our LA County members do not have any similar motivation. However, a number of issues are being put on the historical record:
1) The Draft 12 bylaws are being passed by organizing everyone else against Los Angeles.
2) Support for Draft 12 is motivated by a desire to avoid paying equal dues. (A member in Riverside expressed a willingness to
pay 1.5% if it is phased in over 5 years. But that was not put into Draft 12. Draft 12 would allow those people 100 years
from now, to still receive the benefits without paying for them.)
3) The same people who oppose paying full dues also voted to oppose lowering the dues for Los Angeles. (I oppose it also
but that is irrelevant now. At least I am PAYING the dues.)
4) The same people who oppose paying full dues are the ones who also oppose fair representation for Los Angeles County on the
Executive Board.
With a record like that, how would YOU like the job of campaining for a Yes vote on the Bylaws? I hope the Interum Board will see the light and compromise on some of these issues.
Of course, they do have one other alternative. They can use our dues money to finance a Yes vote for the Bylaws. That way, those of us opposing them will be forced to fight against our money. That, of course, is as unfair as taking government money to finance a political party. But it will probably be done anyway!
Finally, if they use dues money in the Yes campaign for the Bylaws, the very unfairness of such an action could become an issue in and of itself!
Ron McMullen
Pam says:
Again it is time to clear the record and state facts, not ill conceived rhetoric.
1. I have no idea where or who this regime that you refer to is, there is no conspiring or organizational party involved here. We are all members from a variety of areas, Locals and Chapters. I have seen no concerted effort or plot to be a specific ruling class.
In fact the only faction that has conspiratorially contacted me directly to circumvent the process in place is you Ron.
2. There is no them or us, and the sooner this distinction goes away the better.
3. You are using the bylaws Article 5, which is a closed issue to continue the discrimination of members. That issue is a done deal. But there are some who again are not going to get their way in a democratic means and are trying to get a 3rd. bite at the apple so to speak. This in bargaining terms is regressive bargaining. And in fact, instead of using negotiation and consensus to come to a resolution of the issues in the work we are speaking of, it was done in a democratic majority rules way and now they are still unhappy with the end result. In this world you have to be careful what you wish for, and you wished for a blown open, bloated, out of control committee that has gotten very little done in a mammoth amount of time.
4. I personally am not organizing anyone around any threatened dues increase issue, because for my members and Chapter it is a non issue, we pay the most anyway. I am organizing my members in an educate the members of what we are doing, give them the opportunity to read the Draft and copies of the form to submit suggested changes, and then telling them to come and join the party way. I have not separated out any specific issue or Article and organized against any other members interest. I have enough respect and trust that my members will read it and figure it out for themselves, they are adults and can think for themselves. And to characterize my organizing efforts in any other way is totally false representation of what it is I am doing.
5. If people are motivated by a wanting to not increase their dues right now, in a time when most have faced layoffs, furloughs and having cola’s and equity increased taken away due to the current economic crisis our employers are facing, I can agree that is a pretty strong motivator. But a slow incremental increase would be much more palatable for any of them. This has never been off the table, there is a dues structure committee that is working on how to move towards this goal of getting us all paying the same while not financially dismantling some workers who have not gotten, nor expect any raises or increase in benefits and in fact are fighting daily the threat of income and benefit takeaways.
6. Several times the difference between the framework structure of bylaws governance vs. the working operational policies and procedures of the Local have been tried to be explained, unfortunately the disruption and noise in the room was to loud to hear the explanation. All of these concepts and ideas will be codified in their appropriate place and document. The bylaws is not the place for this stuff.
7. Article 5 & Article 7 are apples and oranges when it comes to what the issues are, but my members know what fair is fair, and maybe the things that you are so vehemently fighting for in the name of the LA County Chapter God, just do not seem fair or right, not just for other Chapter members but from the turn out within their own Chapter members. Maybe they are mature intelligent adults who can read for themselves and they understand that if they give the erratic dysfunctional purported leaders that display improper and disruptive behavior, the keys to the castle, they understand that in no time there will be no castle to claim.
8. The last issue is one that is the most suspect, it is one of those when did you stop beating your wife questions that damns a person any way they respond to it. The best that I can do is offer that again, we are all dues paying members with a voice and the last thing that I want to hint or suggest at, is that outside, non involved monies be used to forward any divisive rhetorical propaganda to any of our members on any of our internal issues. And to categorize this as a campaign is again putting the wrong innuendo and title on a process that should have remained consensus driven not contentious driven in resolve.
Peace, PFM