Labor & Employment Law

SEIU Picketed by Its Own Workers

Times are apparently so hard these days that, according to a story by the Associated Press today, even the unions are experiencing labor unrest. 

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.

I frankly had no idea that their was a union of union employees, but I guess it makes sense.   (And I can't help wondering who represents the UUR workers).   But more than a few business owners will certainly enjoy seeing the SEIU get a small dose of its own tactics.   

Full post as published by California Labor & Employment Defense Blog on March 30, 2009 (boomark / email).