> Oone might greet self-reported numbers with some degree of
> skepticism.
I know I always do. I've seen current claims that SEIU represents anywhere between 1.8 million and 2 million workers. The June 30, 2006 membership number is the latest that's based on something that's not easy to fudge -- per capita dues money locals send to the international.
Various religious denominations always claim more members
> than show up in independent surveys. Still, let's give SEIU the
> benefit of the doubt - then 42% of the growth, rather than 70%, from
> 2000-2006 came from the homecare/childcare workers. That's not
> traditional organizing in any sense. And what was the growth by
> merger/acquisition? Any numbers on that?
As I implied before, the number of new workers organized and the number of new members are not directly comparable. For instance, the health systems division organized 6 HCA hospitals in Florida last year. 4,000 workers were eligible to vote. If membership is at 75% -- which is excellent for almost any open shop unit -- when they finish negotiating their first contract this year 3,000 new workers will be added to the membership count. Yet the contract will cover the entire 4,000 person bargaining unit.
If by "traditional" you mean contested NLRB election, then you're right. Also, homecare and childcare workers don't fit the traditional white, male industrial worker demographic many have in mind when they think of the working class. I guess for some this means they're not *real* workers, but I doubt anyone on this list would make that argument. However, it's true they're not private sector workers and labor in general has been doing a horrible job outside of the public sector.
Don't have any numbers on affiliations, but my assumption is that they haven't been that large. I'll ask around.