SEIU battles over Bernie

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

Driven by fears that the powerful SEIU labor union is close to announcing an endorsement of Hillary Clinton, a contingent of Bernie Sanders supporters within the union is petitioning the organization's's international executive board to hold off on endorsing a candidate.

With SEIU’s executive committee set to meet in mid-September, a growing number of hard-core Sanders supporters have become more vocal about urging union brass to withhold a Democratic primary endorsement at this stage in the race. Close to 300 SEIU leaders, members, retirees and staff have signed the petition urging the union to hold off.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-seiu-unions-213221

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Hmm, 300 divided by 1.9 million = .......

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. unions should wait til later in the year to endorse

why would unions want to support a centrist? I guess unions have become something else?

[brooklynite]

3. unions should wait til later in the year to endorse...unless they're supporting your candidate?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

5. there have been no debates on the Democratic side

members have not had a chance to see the candidates in action

[brooklynite]

10. So the 300 Sanders supporters are making a mistake?

They shouldn't choose a candidate until the debates occur?

[George II]

14. Are you really saying that people haven't had a chance to see the candidates in action?

REALLY?

[PSPS]

20. The most vitriolic anti-Clinton rhetoric seems to be from the rabid swooners. Just ignore them.

It's obvious that either Sanders or Clinton would make a fine president. of course, I'd prefer my candidate to win but, if not, I'll still be happy.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

22. so we are not supposed to talk about debates?

Martin O'Malley wants to

[freshwest]

27. Well stated, I understand you. The Idiocracy takes no prisoners, online discussion is dead. n/t

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

35. No. Both the unions that have already endorsed Sanders or Clinton should have held off.

At least til after the first debate, and then circulated emails with vote links to all members, and then endorse based on total responses for any candidate.

Hell, Biden might still get in the race at this point. It's way too early for any group to be endorsing. Personal endorsements, fine, group, no.

[MoveIt]

50. Please explain why unions should vote against their interests

[George II]

12. Unions, and politicians and everyone else should endorse when they decide to do so.

[JDPriestly]

30. No one and no group should endorse a candidate before the debates.

Endorsements before the debates are meaningless.

Why hold the debates if groups and individuals are encouraged to endorse candidates prior to the debates?

These endorsements of Hillary look like machine politics at its worst. Just disgusting.

Wait for the debates. Let's see whose ideas prevail. Let's see which candidate comes across as the best representative of our liberal ideas.

Hillary's record just does not compare to Bernie's.

I campaigned for Bernie this evening. The support for him is incredible in my neighborhood. If half that much support develops in the rest of the country, Bernie will win in November 2016 hands down.

[RoccoR5955]

2. Of course union brass want Clinton

They are part of the problem. Not the unions, but the top brass of a lot of unions are establishment types. There is no reason to believe that they would go for Bernie. Applause to the workers and others who stood up and defended Bernie.

[upaloopa]

9. I am in the SEIU and I don't know why

our leaders are part of the problem. I have a defined benefit retirement plan, a health Savings account that my employer pays into plus Blue Cross PPO, more holidays and vacation days then almost any other worker in the US. Equal pay for women. Great wages for all members.
We have a lot of the things you want Bernie to bring about thanks to our Brass.

[MoveIt]

52. share the wealth n/t

increase union membership.

[George II]

13. Can you be specific please?

[RoccoR5955]

16. I would rather not

Other than as a member of a Civil Service union, I see that the brass are schmoozing the elected officials, who are basically our bosses. The bosses get what they want, and our union gets weaker. The brass say nothing, but it's part of the negotiation.

The other thing that I see in my local is that the union brass are always supporting the wrong person. Even after I offered to volunteer to do the research for them and inform them as to who the correct candidate is, they just tell me that they don't need my help in that matter.

I thought that unions were supposed to be about all the workers, and wanted more folks involved, but I guess I am mistaken.

[freshwest]

25. I think this is a weird thing to say:

Even after I offered to volunteer to do the research for them and inform them as to who the correct candidate is, they just tell me that they don't need my help in that matter.

Had you considered that your opinion might not be superior to those who are doing the work on it now? Did you get a majority consensus among your co-workers on this 'correct candidate?'

I'd suggest you get elected to be an official in the union, by the majority of your peers, and then put your judgement forth to the other officials and not take time to demonize them. If you cannot lead, you will not succeed. It might have sounded like you were coming from outfield to them.

To effect union policy, one must go up the ladder and it can take many elections to finally get in. Some people are never able to get a majority of the members of the union to entrust them with the task. That is democracy.

When you do that, there will be nothing for you to complain about, because you'll be making policy. The ones making it have been in your shoes, too. Get elected and you can get the support for your candidate you need.

[RoccoR5955]

34. Been there, done that.

Unfortunately, in order to get elected, one must be in a single department. The department with the most members. I am not in that department.
And yes, I have gotten a consensus of co-workers as to the correct candidate. They often pick a candidate who has bad or no union experiences, and disregards the candidate who stands with unions.
It's a little late for me to go up the ladder at this point. I shall be retiring in two years.
I can remain involved, and just be a vocal thorn in their side.

[hrmjustin]

4. Conspiracy damn it!

[HappyPlace]

6. We are asking them not to endorse this early.

The rank and file aren't behind this.

Even the the Sanders contingent is only asking them to hold off.

That's the right thing to do, of course.

[99th_Monkey]

7. Of course Team Clinton wants an endorsement BEFORE the first debate on Oct. 13

Just ONE of the reasons DNC/DWS scheduled debates so late, to try to lock down as
many endorsements as possible before the contrast becomes too obvious between
Clinton and Bernie.

[Cry]

8. SEIU will be holding it off

and will endorse Bernie at the end. The AFL-CIO will also be endorsing Bernie. NEA will be endorsing Bernie. AFT will be switching its endorsement after Super Tuesday when the path for Clinton's nomination is a dead-end (again).

[Fiendish Thingy]

15. Didn't the NEA already endorse Clinton? N/t

[Starry Messenger]

18. Uh, no.

[VanillaRhapsody]

28. Okay that cracked me up!

[Joe Shlabotnik]

11. Hold your smarm,

that's 300 committed Sanders advocates. Are you suggesting that of the 1.9 million other members there are no Sanders supporters who have not been consulted as to their executives decisions? I'm sure there are many. Its way too early for pronouncements and coronations when the rank and file have not yet had a chance to speak.

[Scootaloo]

19. SEIU does not have 1.9 million members of the executive board, Brooklynite

[Lordquinton]

23. Clearly they should have polled all 1.9 million members

before sending in the petition.

[brooklynite]

33. No, they have 1.9 M members...

...of which 300 are unhappy with the potential choice of Clinton.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

36. And 1.9M who are apathetic?

I don't even see 300 pro-Hillary folks trying to block them.

[cannabis_flower]

37. 300 that..

have signed the petition. Not necessarily only 300 that support Bernie.

[Ken Burch]

40. Not accurate...it's just that those are the ones now organizing on this.

There's no reason to assume that everybody else in SEIU would be just fine with HRC. She's not pro-labor(you can't br pro-trade deal and pro-worker at the same time)and the polls now show Bernie doing just as well as her against the GOP, so there's no reason for SEIU to want her given a coronation.

[brooklynite]

44. ...and no reason to assume that everybody else in SEIU is opposed to her

SEIU has a leadership structure voted by it's membership. No reason to change unless you simply don't like the potential outcome.

[Scootaloo]

43. Of which 300 are making a request to the executive board to wait on making an endorsement

I know it's a struggle, but do strive for veracity.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

47. Maybe 301!

I'm in SEIU and haven't heard anything about asking me whom I might prefer. It's too early to endorse anyhow.

[Karma13612]

49. tell your rep. loud and clear.

I told my 1199 SEIU rep that I want Bernie. And so does she!
But she says that the union is favoring Hillary.

Weird, two out of two members want Bernie, but the UNION MANAGEMENT is favoring Hillary.

Not fair, not equitable, not representative of the MEMBERSHIP.

REALLY REALLY mad about this.

[fbc]

24. Hopefully they do the right thing

and support the candidate who will support them.

[VanillaRhapsody]

29. That would be the Democrat

[cali]

32. bzzzt. Bernie has a far better pro-labor record than Hillary.

[Ken Burch]

39. If you're running for the Democratic nomination you are a Democrat. n/t.

[VanillaRhapsody]

41. No actually you are not

There is no rule that requires it. And even Bernie says he isnt one...STILL! Check his wikipedia

[PatrickforO]

51. Sorry, that would actually be Bernie, because Clinton is a 'free trader.' So-called 'free trade'

has already cost this nation hundreds of thousands of jobs - good jobs, the kind you can raise a family on, the kind with benefits. These have been replaced by lower paying service jobs with few benefits and no job security.

Not good.

[Cha]

31. Go Hillary!

[Ken Burch]

38. It isn't "300 divided by 1.9 million"

You can't assume everybody else in SEIU would be just fine with an early HRC endorsement.

It's surrender for any union to give an early endorsement of the second-most conservative(and therefore second-most anti-union)candidate in the Democratic race. There is no case whatsoever for SEIU selling out on this.

[brooklynite]

45. I'm not assuming...I'm observing that only 0.000157% of their members care enough to express concern

[Ken Burch]

46. That's just the first 300.

Everything in history starts small.

[Karma13612]

48. Giving it some thought, yea I agree. The unions

should wait until after the MEMBERS get to see as many debates as possible.

I enhanced the word MEMBERS because I believe that the members should be given a chance to have a membership-union vote before their union endorses any specific candidate. Majority should rule.

I am for Bernie, but I have been told by my 1199 SEIU rep that the union is favoring Hillary. This is completely unacceptable to me. The union is not representing me if I don't get a say. If they allow us to vote, then it would be fair even if the outcome is Hillary. At least I would have had my say.

I pay dues, and I want to get something for that.

grumble, grumble....

[underthematrix]

53. i don't think they're going to endorse Clinton or Bernie.

[Agnosticsherbet]

54. SEIU represents 1.5 million public service workers, nurses, hospital staff

300 members have asked it to hold off.


http://www.seiu.org/