time to limit union politics – Daily Bulletin

While California political observers focused on an unfolding gubernatorial recall election during the spring and summer, another major state election was taking place. Members of the powerful Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1000 were voting for a new president.

This particular election had received more attention than usual because the winning candidate, Richard Louis Brown, campaigned on an unusual platform. “Take the labor organization out of politics completely,” the Sacramento Bee explained.

The union not only is the largest representative of state-government workers, but provides electoral muscle for the Democratic Party. The SEIU chapter donated $1 million to oppose the recall and its Political Action Committees spent (in cash and other contributions) $17 million over the past decade, according to the Bee report.

Brown made the sensible argument that instead of promoting unrelated progressive political priorities (e.g., raising the minimum wage and reducing immigration restrictions), the union could best serve its members by focusing on the traditional aspects of unions, such as improving bargaining agreements. Such arguments were music to our ears.

Despite his grassroots support, other union leaders weren’t willing to put up with this radical change in direction. Last week, its board voted to transfer the president’s leadership authority to a hand-picked chairman. Brown’s foes also pointed to harassment and wrongful-termination allegations as further justification for their move, per the report.