-By Warner Todd Huston
The New York Times just unleashed an interesting piece detailing certain troubles being had the by current head of the SEIU, Andy Stern.
Andy Stern has been hailed in some quarters as the nation’s top labor leader largely because his union, the Service Employees International Union, has added members faster than any other, 800,000 over the last decade.
But the president of one of the union’s biggest locals has begun a public war with Mr. Stern, accusing him of having a “growth at any cost” mentality that has shortchanged union members.
By “growth at any cost,” the insurgent union chief facing Stern is claiming that Stern has made too many concessions to new union members who would otherwise vote against the union formation process. In other words, the charge is that Stern has made it easier on the concerns that new union members have just to get new membership. The unions ended up with less power than they’d prefer according to Sal Rosselli, Stern’s opponent.
But, here is the real question… so what? It would seem to me to be a smart move by Stern. Give up some power now because soon enough the union could leverage all they want from a quaking and weakened government (government workers is the focus here) that will bend over backwards for them later.
That is why this anti-democratic, anti-good government Stern is so dangerous. Stern’s internal opponent is short sighted and foolish to worry about the power of their union lessening. After all, the governments that these unions will accost will fold like a house of cards when the union finally pushes their full agenda. Neither the governments nor the unions are acting in the public interest when all is said and done.
That is why we need to warn anyone reading about Stern’s troubles and imagining that his downfall is imminent or that this imbroglio will harm the union. Neither is the case. This union is more dangerous to the best interests of the people of this country than any merely corrupt, mob infested union that we are used to dealing with. This is because this union is attacking, weakening, corrupting and destroying our civil service and governments the nation over.
Don’t be fooled by seeming troubles in the SEIU. This union must be opposed at all costs.
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Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as newsbusters.org, townhall.com, New Media Journal, Men’s News Daily and the New Media Alliance among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events. He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of publiusforum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston