Sunday, April 13, 2008

Breaking News: SEIU invades Labor Notes

Breaking story from the World Socialist Party of the United States website:

"The Service Employees Industrial Union (SEIU) has sent in several bus loads of members to disrupt the annual meeting of Labor Notes in Detroit. The Labor Notes conference is one of the most important gatherings of rank and file labor activists in Canada and the US . . . ." [READ MORE]

There is no defence for intimidatory tactics within the union movement. We should be supporting the fullest democracy and participation. It's that simple. It should be the abc of working class self-organisation.

2 comments:

Reidski said...

Weren't these members who the WSPUSA say were "bussed in" not also rank and file members? Weren't they just rank and file members that Labor Notes doesn't like?

Just asking!

In saying that, I hate the idea of ideas and opinions being drowned out just cos others don't like them.

Btw, you know me - hate the SWP and all that shit. But, as an outsider from this particular union, I used to get well wound up when hearing about how Unison general secretary Rodney Bikerstaffe (who I quite liked and admired) used to deal with SWP-dominated branches - shut them down. No way to deal with dissent!

Not sure if it links in with this, so apologies if it's off-message!

Imposs1904 said...

"Weren't these members who the WSPUSA say were "bussed in" not also rank and file members? Weren't they just rank and file members that Labor Notes doesn't like?"

Nah, this was mob-handed bullshit. (No, not that mob.) "Rank and file" members don't get bussed into a conference, only for the SEIU to then issue a press release justifying the action. And, it has to said, that in my limited personal experience with the SEIU in NYC they do come across as a top down union with a penchant for cutting sweetheart deals with the devil (i.e local Republicans).

Obviously the SEIU and the CNA are having a locking of horns at the moment, but this sort of action can never be justified. It was a wrecking tactic pure and simple.

"Bickerstaffe"

Wasn't he one of yours? I always got the impression that he was a bit of a fellow traveller. It must have been all those articles that he would pen for World Marxist Review. (Not that I ever read them.)

Always thought he was a bit of a gobshite. But that may have just been the way he came across in interviews. (Him and all his mates.)

Find me a charismatic trade union leader, and I'll insist that you've mistaken Matewan for a documentary.