Re: AUT: Caffentzis article

[Tom Messmer <messmer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

As a member of SEIU 790 I think I can speak about this one. There are I
think three SEIU locals at my jobsite and they all behave more or less
the same way.  SEIU really doesn't bother at all with rank and file
organization, and acts more like some sort of insurance company, only
the reps and organizers spend most of their time insisting that this
isn't the case and bitching about how members 'don't participate'. When
members do 'participate' they wind up either A. attending one or two
meetings and never going back, or B. spending the next 20 years running
from one meeting, phonebanking, precinct walk to the next with no
personal time until they are left hollow bitter shells of people
muttering darkly about the lazy, apathetic membership.

There is a decertification campaign in the works(not sure where they
are at with it at the moment) against SEIU on the part of the nurses
who would much prefer to be part of CNA, a powerful nurses union. By
the way, and this is my non-sequiter, I'm thinking of going back to
nursing school, where i can get a two year degree and make more money
than I do with my master's degree. When I get out I'm going to look for
a CNA shop....


> Also (and yeah, something of a non sequitur but I just thought of it)
> some of the major organizing unions in the AFL - UNITE (soon to be
> UNITE-HERE), AFSCME, SEIU - are all very big into top down corporate
> directed organizing campaigns involving public pressure and beating up
> on the popular opinion of the company. That's great in that it can win
> wage and benefit gains for large numbers of workers, but at the same
> time it doesn't create very member animated organizations, it lends
> itself to highly top down unions (with often very poor servicing,
> hence a fair number of decertification campaigns run against each of
> these unions by members) the leadership of which are less susceptible
> to internal pressure by the members.
>
> just some thoughts.
>
> best,
> Nate
>
> \
> We will teach our twisted speech to the young believers.
> -The Clash, "Working For The Clampdown"
>
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----
The money powers preys upon the nation in times of peace and conspires
against it in times of adversity. It is more despotic than a monarchy,
more insolent than autocracy, more selfish than bureaucracy. It
denounces, as public enemies, all who question its methods or throw
light upon its crimes. Corporations have been enthroned, and an era of
corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the
country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the
prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in the hands of
a few, and the Republic is destroyed.

Abraham Lincoln



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