Ben Smith Politico April 29, 2009
With the resolution of the UNITE HERE civil war tied up in federal court and the union, functionally, already split, the sparring continues over physical assets.
At the Manhattan headquarters that used to belong to UNITE, I'm told, the staffers attached to what is now the Workers United side have relocated to one floor which they control, while the HERE-side staffers occupy another. Fun times in the elevators.
And the union's general president, Bruce Raynor - the former UNITE president - complains today that his rival, John Wilhelm, cut his side off from the union's online resources:
The campaign websites, including www.uniformjustice.org and www.makecintassafe.info (part of the Cintas campaign and the broader laundry organizing effort) and www.behindthelabel.org and www.militaryuniformwatch.net (part of the Eagle Industries and Propper International campaigns, the broader military uniform organizing effort, and the fight against sweatshops around the globe), are fundamental components of the Cintas, Eagle, and Propper campaigns. More generally, they are a crucial part of this union's organizing efforts.
UNITE HERE and the workers seeking to form a union use these sites to regularly communicate with allies, consumers, employers, and each other.
UPDATE: A Wilhelm ally, Pilar Weiss, called the complaint "ridiculous and trivial" and responded that Raynor's IT department has resigned to join Workers United, and that Raynor's office at UNITE HERE hasn't requested access to the site.
Despite the fact that some of these campaigns are unrelated to the intramural dispute, Weiss said they're not going to give over their property to a "secessionist union" that's trying to "raid" them.
UPDATE: Part of this is the strange reality that Raynor and his staff are leading a union that includes few of their allies, but a tech guy who remains there, Matt Painter, emails from a UNITE HERE account:
I do communications for the Cintas campaign. I've been the person who updates the Cintas campaign website since a began working for the union in 2006. I want to clarify two points Pilar Weiss makes. I am not part of a "secessionist union" that's trying to "raid." I am a UNITE HERE staff person that is trying to do my job by putting important stories about Cintas (on Employee Free Choice and health and safety) on the Cintas campaign sites. I've also requested that these updates go on the UNITE HERE site. Despite Pilar's claims to the contrary,I have made two requests for access, and I know others have made requests as well. If you would like, I can forward you those e-mails.
Raynor's full memo after the jump.
» Continue reading Union civil war goes online
April 29, 2009
Memorandum
To: All UNITE HERE
From: Bruce Raynor, General President
Last week, John Wilhelm blocked UNITE HERE research, organizing, and communications staff from accessing and updating vital organizing campaign websites and the union's main website, www.unitehere.org. This is another example of Wilhelm putting union politics before workers.
The campaign websites, including www.uniformjustice.org and www.makecintassafe.info (part of the Cintas campaign and the broader laundry organizing effort) and www.behindthelabel.org and www.militaryuniformwatch.net (part of the Eagle Industries and Propper International campaigns, the broader military uniform organizing effort, and the fight against sweatshops around the globe), are fundamental components of the Cintas, Eagle, and Propper campaigns. More generally, they are a crucial part of this union's organizing efforts.
UNITE HERE and the workers seeking to form a union use these sites to regularly communicate with allies, consumers, employers, and each other.
Wilhelm's actions have halted important work. For example, yesterday was Worker Memorial Day and our campaign websites remained silent because staff members were not able to do their jobs. This is a dishonor to the memory of Eleazar Torres Gomez and an insult to the Cintas workers who have put their jobs on the line to eliminate safety hazards in their laundries.
Since UNITE and HERE merged, John Wilhelm has had no interest in organizing in the laundry and apparel industries. The workers in these jurisdictions are simply not important to him.
Wilhelm's talk of one union is a farce. His real vision is for one voice - his own - dictating to staff and members and deciding which unorganized workers deserve our efforts and which do not.
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