[Marxism] "United Service Workers for Democracy" won SEIU decert vote in SF

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Michael Connell <miclconn@xxxxxxx>
8/6/2004

Service Employees International Union Local 1877 has been DECERTIFIED as

collective bargaining agent for the vast majority of San Francisco
janitors.
A new, independent union, United Service Workers for Democracy Local 87,

will now be the CERTIFIED representative of the unit.

The decertification vote was held yesterday under the auspices of the
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), an independent Federal agency
which
certifies or decertifies representatives based upon secret ballot votes
taken among units of employees.

San Francisco janitors working for the largest contractors in the city
were
eligible to vote based upon petitions they presented to the NLRB
requesting
an election. The final tally was:

1,698 eligible voters (including part-time and
temporary employees)
18 void ballots
121 challenged ballots
573 votes for SEIU Local 1877
947 votes for USWD Local 87.

There is no need to count challenged ballots since the margin of victory

far exceeded the number of challenges. The defeated union can file
objections to the election based upon misconduct, interference by
management, etc. However, the large margin of victory is a serious
obstacle
for SEIU Local 1877 to overcome.

Certfication means that the contractors must bargain in good faith with
the new union. It does not mean that in the end there must be a
contract,
or that any contract agreed upon must be identical to what was
negotiated by
SEIU.

This is a major defeat for SEIU. The problems which led to the
decertification are significant, and the consequences will be enormous;
but
they are far too complex to describe in an e-mail.

Some San Francisco janitors will continue to be represented by SEIU
Local
1877. That is because certain units of janitors did not petition the
NLRB
for a vote, or the petitions did not have enough signatures to meet NLRB

requirements (generally, 30% of the unit). For example, the employees of

Township Building Services will continue to be members of SEIU Local
1877,
and the contract between Local 1877 and Township will remain in force
and
effect.


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