[lbo-talk] Union top Dennis Rivera: "No one throws a party

[Jim Straub]

I find it very telling that this article (clearly an anti-union hack job,
full of 'facts' from the 'center for union facts', bob fitch's favorite boss
front group to smash unions) was deemed worthy of forwarding.  Not any
article about what 1199 spends 97% of it's money on--- things ranging from
the brilliant bread and roses working-class cultural project, twenty busses
for members to represent at anti-war and mumia marches, or perhaps the most
successful new organizing program in the country (which has grown the local
exponentially and made NY-area health care workers the best-compensated in
the country and perhaps the world--- I mean two dollar co-pays for CNAs,
jesus).  Nah.  Better to slam them because 700 member-activists had a party
that was catered (instead of getting the local food not bombs to cook shome
vegan garbage, right?).

I'll say this: at their massive size, power, and financial resources, 1199
NY is going to have the kind of oceans of cash that allows their members to
have a bigger bash than ours in vegas could.  I'm sure their offices are
fancy and the e-board has an open bar at their christ party.  Heavens to
betsy what a bunch of union corruption.  But I'll ALSO say that in my
local's organizing, which is in a right to work state in a local with a
bigger battle in front of us than we can afford to fight, is directly
subsidized by 1199 NY--- their members kick money to ours, so vegas can
build power eventually like theirs have.  I'm always all in favor of
cost-cutting and frugality and not giving the center for union facts or
anti-union lbo-talk writers more ammunition.  But I find it offensive and
laughable that this is what passes for news about unions on this list.

Blech.
Jim


>
> Message: 8
> Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 22:34:58 -0700
> From: "Steven L. Robinson" <srobin21 at comcast.net>
> Subject: [lbo-talk] Union top Dennis Rivera: "No one throws a party
>         like we do"
> To: <progchat_action at yahoogroups.com>, <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
> Message-ID: <1aef01c6e12d$818bd280$1d18fea9 at noir>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Union for poor lives high
>
> By Douglas Feiden
> Staff Writer, New York Daily News
>
> The union powerhouse that represents some of the poorest workers in New
> York
> City shelled out more than $2 million on parties and out-of-town
> conferences
> last year, the Daily News has learned.
>
> Local 1199, whose members empty bedpans and scrub toilets in hospitals and
> nursing homes, spent $465,000 for a summer retreat to Lake Placid for 700
> staffers.
>
>
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