SEIU Employees Picket Own Union Over Layoffs

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Run time: 01:53 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwsVnbLruwI   Posted on YouTube: March 27, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: March 29, 2009 By DU Member: tomm2thumbs Views on DU: 644

 

Wasn't sure this was real, but yup.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/28/MNIC16O7P4.DTL

Dozens of employees of the Service Employees International Union picketed their own union Friday over its decision to lay off about 75 workers. The staffers marched outside SEIU headquarters in Washington as they yelled into bullhorns, passed out flyers and chanted, "Justice for all, not just some."

"This union is supposed to be at the forefront of the progressive movement, but it can't seem to follow its own ideology," said Malcolm Harris, president of the Union of Union Representatives, which represents 210 SEIU organizers and field staff around the country.

The UUR has filed unfair labor practice charges and age and race discrimination claims against SEIU. Harris called SEIU leaders "hypocrites" for calling out corporations that shed workers, yet moving to lay off their own employees. SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette called the complaints meritless and said layoffs are needed because the union is shifting organizing work away from its national office to local unions.