SEIU moves on after ballot

Sacramento Bee ^ | 1/2/8 | Andy Furillo

[SmithL]

As dissidents fail to overturn 'fair share' fees, state workers union plans for new contract bargaining.

Now that it has defeated a potentially costly insurgency, the leadership of California's largest state workers union faces a new challenge: unifying its membership ahead of upcoming contract and pension battles.

Service Employees International Union Local 1000 stood to lose $12.5 million in revenue in the campaign to eliminate "fair share" fees in its largest bargaining unit. But the rescission campaign failed when less than half of the eligible voters mailed in ballots, the Public Employment Relations Board reported.

By state law, the rescission campaign needed the support of 50 percent plus one of the 44,187 employees in SEIU 1000's Unit One. Only 17,699 ballots were returned to PERB, however, in a month of voting that began Nov. 27. As a result, the ballots were not even counted, said PERB general counsel division chief Les Chisholm.

SEIU 1000 President Jim Hard said the defeat of the rescission campaign will allow the union to "focus on this huge and growing state budget deficit and our contract negotiations that are coming up quickly," as well as another challenge to its members' pension benefits.

"Unity in the upcoming budget and contract campaigns is critical," Hard said. "We're going to reach out to all those who have concerns and complaints and try to resolve them. We're all state employees who are affected by this. We need to come together and work for a new and fair contract."

The deal between the union's 87,000 members and the state expires in the middle of 2008. SEIU 1000, as well as other public employee unions, also is expecting to fight an initiative campaign next year that is seeking to reduce benefits for its future members.

[hsalaw]

I’m a person of ordinary comprehension, but I can’t make heads or tails of this article. I admit I haven’t read the full article because I refuse to sign up with the SacBee and give them the impression that they have more than five readers.

[HKMk23]

We need to come together and work for a new and fair contract.

Uh, so the LAST contract, which you all voted to accept -- presumably because you all thought it was fair -- isn't fair anymore?

The current contract is all good until it gets close to expiration, then -- right outta the clear blue sky -- it suddenly sucks?

Your landlord raises your rent, and that makes your contract unfair?

Your subprime mortgage interest rate is about to convert, and that makes your contract unfair?

The price of gas goes up, and that makes your contract unfair?

You just bought a new, fully-loaded Escalade, with enough BLING! to get you a lifetime membership in the 18th Street Gang, and your car payments make your contract unfair?

Now tell me who's the FOOL who voted to accept an unfair contract?

HINT: Check the mirror.

If the contract isn't fair now, then it wasn't fair on the day you all voted to accept it, and you have NOBODY to blame for that but your own stupid selves.

LUMP IT!