This is a copy of the letter that I sent to SEIU resigning as a worksite steward at Woodland Healthcare:
Effective Tuesday, 5 May 2009, I hereby resign as a work site steward for SEIU-UHW. This comes after much soul-searching and talking to family, fellow co-workers, and other brother and sister union members. The reasons for my decision are mainly twofold:
One, I find myself unable to put my best effort to an organization that has disappointed me in so many ways (shutting me out from bargaining and then asking me to sign people up to replace me - how tacky is that..). I tried to put aside my feelings in this matter, to try to work with you, but I will be unable to do so.
Secondly, I will be taking on additional clients in my capacity as respite caregiver which will require more of my time.
As far as the other current stewards at Woodland Healthcare are concerned, I can not speak for them. I would hope that they will make their decision to stay/go based on their own factors, and not just because I am resigning.
Sincerely,
Joseph G. Thomas Jr.
Woodland Healthcare
Nutrition Services
More From Me Tomorrow -- Joe the "Coffee Guy"
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
No Sunday Sermon from Me...
For those of you who have come to this spot looking for info on the NUHW founding convention:
A: Sorry you missed it.
B: Ask me about it at the Coffee Bar. (or e-mail me)
C: Be patient. I'll speak more on it later.
Stay in touch,
The "Coffee Guy"
A: Sorry you missed it.
B: Ask me about it at the Coffee Bar. (or e-mail me)
C: Be patient. I'll speak more on it later.
Stay in touch,
The "Coffee Guy"
Thursday, April 16, 2009
..Yes, I'm Back. And I am not happy...
Hi! I've been away for a while, but now I am ready to tell folks what is going on in my world...
Last Monday and Wednesday, I had the opportunity to talk to the SEIU representative assigned to WHC. I told her that we, as workers, had many issues involving failures by management to follow the terms of our collective bargaining agreement. We have many scheduling, assignment, and other worksite issues that need to be addressed and corrected. We, as employees, all know of decisions that managers have made that are just WRONG.
To this end,I met with the SEIU representative assigned to our facility. I talked to her about the need to set aside our SEIU/NUHW differences and work together for the good of the members. I told her that if she would be willing to be more available to work with our job stewards in terms of grievances, Committee meetings, etc. that I would keep her apprised of what we need and when we need her.
I also told her that I would no longer distribute information regarding NUHW at the facility.I wanted her to understand that I would work as a steward representing our contract, and only our contract, on matters involving union issues.
In the light of the current division in CHW facilities, including our own, regarding who is vs. who should be representing us (over 70% of our members signed petitions requesting a change of representation - a change that, by the way, could have been done by CHW without us having to wait for a vote), I felt that it was important to work with them (SEIU) ASAP.
There's a lot at stake here.
Our meeting seemed to be productive, and we were heading towards and understanding that would us focus on the work that needed to be done in the Hospital and Clinic.
Then the ball dropped. A dealbreaker was put in the mix. I was told that from this point on any of the stewards that has anything to do with NUHW or those working with NUHW will be removed as stewards in their facilities. I reminded her that any meetings that I or any other steward attends on our time is OUR business. Telling us who we can associate with is out of line and out of bounds. Period.
I will continue to meet and associate with who I please, as long as it is not against the law.
I was willing to forgo communicating with NUHW staff in order to build on a working situation with our SEIU representative -
what a letdown.
Now I've decided to sign up for the NUHW founding convention, and yes, I had dinner with our former union rep, Lydia, this evening.
So, I fully expect to be relieved of my position as job steward some time soon. I am not trying to "call their bluff", I am just doing what I believe is right.
I was already told that Celeste, Elaine and I could no longer go to contract bargaining, even though we were elected by you, the membership of WHC. Over 90% of the members of our contract bargaining team have been told the same thing - no return to bargaining. We are being kept away. This is the same team that Bargained raises of 7% for most of the CHW employees, while in other places SEIU was "proud" to get half (or less) for members.
* A Question-- why did the majority of our bargaining team not go to the last two sessions? We were upset about the way that the barganing was going to be handled. We knew that the people put in charge of the actual back-and-forth negotiating were not ready. We asked them to wait, they refused. We told them how we felt about that, they accused us of "boycotting" the sessions. We did not boycott the sessions - we boycotted the SEIU negotiating team. We just had no confidence in them.
SEIU is planning to hold new bargaining team elections at all facilities, including ours. Our names ( the 2008-09 team, the one that worked to obtain a contract with great improvements, especially considering the economic situation) will not be on the ballot.
If you choose to write in our names, they will not count your ballot. Your vote WILL NOT COUNT. Even now they are trying to find out which one of you will accept a position on their new bargaining team - hand picked, on their terms.
Do Elaine, Celeste and myself a favor - write us in anyway. Demand that your vote count. Give us the opportunity to finish what we started.
I would just love to hear the sound of their angry butts puckering...
More Later,
Joe the "coffee guy"
Last Monday and Wednesday, I had the opportunity to talk to the SEIU representative assigned to WHC. I told her that we, as workers, had many issues involving failures by management to follow the terms of our collective bargaining agreement. We have many scheduling, assignment, and other worksite issues that need to be addressed and corrected. We, as employees, all know of decisions that managers have made that are just WRONG.
To this end,I met with the SEIU representative assigned to our facility. I talked to her about the need to set aside our SEIU/NUHW differences and work together for the good of the members. I told her that if she would be willing to be more available to work with our job stewards in terms of grievances, Committee meetings, etc. that I would keep her apprised of what we need and when we need her.
I also told her that I would no longer distribute information regarding NUHW at the facility.I wanted her to understand that I would work as a steward representing our contract, and only our contract, on matters involving union issues.
In the light of the current division in CHW facilities, including our own, regarding who is vs. who should be representing us (over 70% of our members signed petitions requesting a change of representation - a change that, by the way, could have been done by CHW without us having to wait for a vote), I felt that it was important to work with them (SEIU) ASAP.
There's a lot at stake here.
Our meeting seemed to be productive, and we were heading towards and understanding that would us focus on the work that needed to be done in the Hospital and Clinic.
Then the ball dropped. A dealbreaker was put in the mix. I was told that from this point on any of the stewards that has anything to do with NUHW or those working with NUHW will be removed as stewards in their facilities. I reminded her that any meetings that I or any other steward attends on our time is OUR business. Telling us who we can associate with is out of line and out of bounds. Period.
I will continue to meet and associate with who I please, as long as it is not against the law.
I was willing to forgo communicating with NUHW staff in order to build on a working situation with our SEIU representative -
what a letdown.
Now I've decided to sign up for the NUHW founding convention, and yes, I had dinner with our former union rep, Lydia, this evening.
So, I fully expect to be relieved of my position as job steward some time soon. I am not trying to "call their bluff", I am just doing what I believe is right.
I was already told that Celeste, Elaine and I could no longer go to contract bargaining, even though we were elected by you, the membership of WHC. Over 90% of the members of our contract bargaining team have been told the same thing - no return to bargaining. We are being kept away. This is the same team that Bargained raises of 7% for most of the CHW employees, while in other places SEIU was "proud" to get half (or less) for members.
* A Question-- why did the majority of our bargaining team not go to the last two sessions? We were upset about the way that the barganing was going to be handled. We knew that the people put in charge of the actual back-and-forth negotiating were not ready. We asked them to wait, they refused. We told them how we felt about that, they accused us of "boycotting" the sessions. We did not boycott the sessions - we boycotted the SEIU negotiating team. We just had no confidence in them.
SEIU is planning to hold new bargaining team elections at all facilities, including ours. Our names ( the 2008-09 team, the one that worked to obtain a contract with great improvements, especially considering the economic situation) will not be on the ballot.
If you choose to write in our names, they will not count your ballot. Your vote WILL NOT COUNT. Even now they are trying to find out which one of you will accept a position on their new bargaining team - hand picked, on their terms.
Do Elaine, Celeste and myself a favor - write us in anyway. Demand that your vote count. Give us the opportunity to finish what we started.
I would just love to hear the sound of their angry butts puckering...
More Later,
Joe the "coffee guy"
Friday, January 23, 2009
Now Is The Time For All Good Members To Come To The Aid Of Their Union.
With the recent events involving the decision by Secretary(?) Ray Marshall involving the trusteeship hearing, I feel that it is time for me to start poppin' off about what I believe.
The opinions that I've formed are based on what I saw at the hearings in San Mateo and San Jose, as well as information fed to me from both SEIU and UHW.
As I see it, both sides feel strongly about what is the right thing to do for us as members. That being said, if we are truly a democratic union, no part of the union (local or international level) should be beyond criticism. Never should we as members feel as if we have no real say in what happens with our union. It's way past time for all of us as dues-paying members to start holding our leaders accountable to US. We do not work for Andy Stern (or The IEB, for that matter), they work for us.
Every time you receive a flyer, phone call, or anything saying "SEIU" or "UHW" on it, it was probably paid for with money that originated from the dues of members. We, as those dues-payers, put up the money used for investments, salaries, events, operating union offices and halls - just about anything "union".
We all deserve to be lead at the local level by those who are voted in by us, known by us, and accountable to us. Someone who is appointed by the International union in Washington D.C. is only accountable to the person who appoints him/her, and clearly does not have our best interest at heart. I do not have any confidence in this or any "trusteeship" that ignores the wishes of of those most affected. Removing over 65,000 of our brother and sister members from UHW and placing them in a union already in trusteeship is absolutely wrong.
I am going to ask my fellow members to help me send the folks at our international a petition to formally declare a statement of "no confidence" to those leading at the international level. More about this later.
For some, this would seem to be just a waste of time. I do not believe so. We must never stop raising our voices and putting pen to paper to protest, question, or even support whatever we feel needs to be brought to light. It's time for we, the members of UHW, to really get mad..
More from me later.
In Solidarity,
The Coffee Guy
The opinions that I've formed are based on what I saw at the hearings in San Mateo and San Jose, as well as information fed to me from both SEIU and UHW.
As I see it, both sides feel strongly about what is the right thing to do for us as members. That being said, if we are truly a democratic union, no part of the union (local or international level) should be beyond criticism. Never should we as members feel as if we have no real say in what happens with our union. It's way past time for all of us as dues-paying members to start holding our leaders accountable to US. We do not work for Andy Stern (or The IEB, for that matter), they work for us.
Every time you receive a flyer, phone call, or anything saying "SEIU" or "UHW" on it, it was probably paid for with money that originated from the dues of members. We, as those dues-payers, put up the money used for investments, salaries, events, operating union offices and halls - just about anything "union".
We all deserve to be lead at the local level by those who are voted in by us, known by us, and accountable to us. Someone who is appointed by the International union in Washington D.C. is only accountable to the person who appoints him/her, and clearly does not have our best interest at heart. I do not have any confidence in this or any "trusteeship" that ignores the wishes of of those most affected. Removing over 65,000 of our brother and sister members from UHW and placing them in a union already in trusteeship is absolutely wrong.
I am going to ask my fellow members to help me send the folks at our international a petition to formally declare a statement of "no confidence" to those leading at the international level. More about this later.
For some, this would seem to be just a waste of time. I do not believe so. We must never stop raising our voices and putting pen to paper to protest, question, or even support whatever we feel needs to be brought to light. It's time for we, the members of UHW, to really get mad..
More from me later.
In Solidarity,
The Coffee Guy
Friday, January 9, 2009
2008 – The Year from the Edge of My Seat
What a year.
From the very beginning, my life as a UHW member has been a roller-coaster of emotions. I've been encouraged, uplifted, and very, very proud of the victories that we've achieved.
We’ve won strong, positive contracts. Organized thousands of new members. Given strength, hope, and pride to so many who were looking to improve their lives and working conditions.
I've been so impressed with the spirit of togetherness and the resolve of my fellow members, both staff and my fellow rank-and-file workers. I've had the privilege to talk to so many folks who, like me, care deeply about our patients and co-workers. The work we do is very important, and we are very proud of the job we do.
So why can't I just be just terribly thrilled?
Why do I feel so betrayed? So stepped on?
Why, as a steward am I still having to sign petitions, make calls, and have meetings to answer questions and to calm the fears of co-workers?
Why are we, as UHW members, being treated with such disrespect by SEIU? Aren't they supposed to work for us, and not against us?
There are so many, many issues that we need to be working together to address. Why do we have to waste so much effort and resources defending ourselves?
We are member-driven and we intend to say that way. I have yet to find any other UHW member that thinks that it is better to be dismantled as a union as led by people that are not voted in by us, not accountable to us, and who we believe do not have our best interest at heart.
This is why I feel such betrayal. Supposedly the idea of “trusteeship" is to be in our best interest. Since when?
SEIU, we will not go quietly in the night. The belief that we, as members are generally ignorant of the plotting and scheming to destroy UHW and disband our leadership has not been and will not ever be acceptable.
Stay strong, UHW. This blogger believes in you. Never give up the good fight.
In Solidarity,
Joe “Coffee Guy” Thomas
P.S. Thanks to Jerry, Nikki, Kit-Kat and the rest of the gang in Woodland. You make it fun to go to work each day.
From the very beginning, my life as a UHW member has been a roller-coaster of emotions. I've been encouraged, uplifted, and very, very proud of the victories that we've achieved.
We’ve won strong, positive contracts. Organized thousands of new members. Given strength, hope, and pride to so many who were looking to improve their lives and working conditions.
I've been so impressed with the spirit of togetherness and the resolve of my fellow members, both staff and my fellow rank-and-file workers. I've had the privilege to talk to so many folks who, like me, care deeply about our patients and co-workers. The work we do is very important, and we are very proud of the job we do.
So why can't I just be just terribly thrilled?
Why do I feel so betrayed? So stepped on?
Why, as a steward am I still having to sign petitions, make calls, and have meetings to answer questions and to calm the fears of co-workers?
Why are we, as UHW members, being treated with such disrespect by SEIU? Aren't they supposed to work for us, and not against us?
There are so many, many issues that we need to be working together to address. Why do we have to waste so much effort and resources defending ourselves?
We are member-driven and we intend to say that way. I have yet to find any other UHW member that thinks that it is better to be dismantled as a union as led by people that are not voted in by us, not accountable to us, and who we believe do not have our best interest at heart.
This is why I feel such betrayal. Supposedly the idea of “trusteeship" is to be in our best interest. Since when?
SEIU, we will not go quietly in the night. The belief that we, as members are generally ignorant of the plotting and scheming to destroy UHW and disband our leadership has not been and will not ever be acceptable.
Stay strong, UHW. This blogger believes in you. Never give up the good fight.
In Solidarity,
Joe “Coffee Guy” Thomas
P.S. Thanks to Jerry, Nikki, Kit-Kat and the rest of the gang in Woodland. You make it fun to go to work each day.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
YO!
I've been taking a break from all of this blogging...but it looks like it is time for me to get back behind the keyboard. I've had enough rest and now that my brain is all filled up, it's time to start emptying (sharing).
More from me tomorrow.
More from me tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
