Posted on 11/06/2008 12:55:58 PM PST by cll
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) thought that it had things all wrapped up in Puerto Rico this year. This most powerful of American unions even held its annual convention on the sunny isle to showcase its power to overawe its intended prey. Apparently the small, local teachers union had other ideas, though.
The SEIU blew into Puerto Rico to gobble up the Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico (FMPR), or in English, the Puerto Rican Federation of Teachers. The SEIU’s plan was to add that small union its ever growing list of unions it has gobbled up and quashed in the U.S. But, it looks like the locals weren’t as interested in being gobbled as the SEIU thought.
In a stunning upset, the members of the FMPR voted against allowing their union to become a part of the SEIU. On October 23, the final vote was announced and it revealed 14,675 teachers voting to join the SEIU and 18,123 against.
Of course, the SEIU planted the seeds of its own loss by the heavy-handed tactics it used in order to steal the union away from local control. In March, the New York Daily News reported that the SEIU tried to go around behind the then striking Puerto Rican teachers union and appeal to the Island’s government to help settle the strike. Without the approval or knowledge of the FMPR the SEIU tried to shoehorn its way into defacto representation of the teachers by getting government recognition.
Needless to say, the FMPR was not pleased to find that it had become the pawn of the SEIU’s latest power grab. Hence, the anti-SEIU vote by the rank and file teachers.
It is also widely believed by the FMPR that the SEIU pulled some shady moves in the vote. Some FMPR members claim that up to 2,000 votes were stolen by the SEIU and ballot boxes stuffed in an attempt to wrest control of the union from the locals. But it was to no avail. The FMPR will, for now, not become a part of the SEIU. It’s a victory for the little guy in the face of the onslaught of the most powerful union in America.
But, let’s not pop the Champaign corks just yet. While it is good to see Andy Stern defeated, there is no reason to celebrate the existence of the FMPR in the first place. After all, the leader of the FMPR, Rafael Feliciano, is openly socialist. So, for sure its Puerto Rico’s kids that are on the losing end of the stick, regardless. They were to either have their education endangered by the SEIU or by the socialists in the FMPR. Either way, not a good prospect.
under Obama? the 51st state followed by DC. with 4 new socialist Senators.
Did you catch that on the island the mostly Republican PNP party just ousted the mostly Democrat PPD party in a landslide election?
This is the first I've heard of this. It went completely unreported by the MSM as far as I can tell.
Well, Obamamania, you know.
Yes, Luis Fortuño, our current Republican Congressman, got elected Governor on a low taxes, small government, pro-business platform and liberated us from eight years of liberal, socialist, democrat hell (but I repeat myself).
Admitedly, for the post of Resident Commisioner or Congressman, Mr. Fortuño picked his childhood friend Pedro Pierluisi, who happens to be a Democrat. But a moderate Democrat and social conservative at that.
I made my coworkers aware that my support for
PR was not misplaced. I will also suport PR for
statehood.
Sorry for the delay in replying. I was commuting and walking the dogs.
Thank you for the support, Excel.
Karl, we can only prevent the socialist takeover now by active resistance at all levels.
IMHO, it is quite an achievement that a minority person has been elected to the highest office in the land. That proves that the USA is the most open and gregarious nation in the world.
But that’s the ONLY positive thing of Mr. Obama’s ascension to executive power.
We must remind our family, our neighbors and our co-workers every day that ours is a Constitutional Republic, not a monarchy, and that the cult of personality we’re witnessing needs to stop yesterday.
We have entered the slippery road towards socialism. It is one hole that it is very difficult to get out of. We just learned that in Puerto Rico.
I pray for you in the mainland. At least here on the island we don’t have to worry about the IRS.
Never relinquish your rights, never give up your arms, demand that the Constitution be upheld always.
The fight to take Congress away from the socialists has already begun. Don’t let glum and a product of Oprah distract you from your liberties.
God Bless.
None of this changes the fact that if you send you son to San Ignacio, he will come out biting pillows...
The reason the FMPR voted “no” against the SEIU might be that it does not want to be part of a “Yankee” union; if so, it was a purely political move.
But then, how can you reconcile the above with Pierluisi's support of Obama?
Gansería
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