Ben Smith The Politico March 13, 2009
UNITE HERE President Bruce Raynor responded just now to his executive board's vote to leave Change to Win and rejoin the AFL-CIO, accusing his rival, John Wilhelm, of imposing "Soviet-style democracy" on the union:
" Wilhelm now plans to unilaterally negotiate a return to the AFL-CIO - abandoning the Change to Win movement led by several unions, UNITE HERE among them, to take organizing in a new, more effective direction. This is further evidence that the merger has failed in its fundamental purpose; sadly Wilhelm seems to be the last person who will recognize this, despite the wishes of 150,000 members."
A labor source also sends over a letter from the presidents of two major AFL-CIO union, the United Auto Workers and United Steelworkers, who nevertheless support Raynor's case that UNITE HERE is broken and should be split and warn of risks to the entire labor movement from the dispute. The two presidents write, in a letter to Wilhelm and Raynor:
"You represent two proud unions who attempted to come together as one, and now find yourselves in a serious conflict which threatens your own institutions resulting in damage to the entire movement.
"Your initial efforts were commendable, but your approaches are radically different and even the most disinterested observer can see that the cultures both unions brought to the merger simply do not mesh. This is not an internal dispute resulting from factionalism within a single union, but is a merger of two unions that has clearly not met the mission stated at your founding meeting.
"No matter how well intentioned, from our perspective, when a merger doesn't work it is in the best interests of the membership to break it up. The continuing public escalation of your internal battle, when there are reasonable alternatives, threatens members' interests and reforms that would benefit the entire labor movement."
Full Raynor statement after the jump.
Statement from UNITE HERE General President Bruce Raynor on Today's General Executive Board Meeting
"Earlier today, a General Executive Board meeting was held at which John Wilhelm and his followers continued their effort to silence the voice of those 1,500 rank-and-file members - representing 150,000 workers - who voted to disaffiliate their joint boards from UNITE HERE and the more than 75,000 members from those joint boards who have signed petitions to form a new union. Thousands more members are signing petitions every day.
"At this point it is clear that there is a total breakdown of the union and the merger has reached its official end. Not surprisingly the General Executive Board meeting has become dominated by the Wilhelm faction's delusion that the former UNITE side Joint Board's and a number of HERE locals can still be governed by this kangaroo court. Today, we saw the board as a shell of its former self, with nearly half of its membership comprised of union professional staff who represent no workers.
"Rather than hearing the wake-up call of 75,000 members and listening to the expression of their democratic will, Wilhelm wants to punish those members and their leaders who disagree with his wishes by passing resolutions trying to seize resources, revoke charters, and trustee locals. That is Wilhelm Soviet-style democracy in action. These actions are unconstitutional and will not stand."
"Wilhelm now plans to unilaterally negotiate a return to the AFL-CIO - abandoning the Change to Win movement led by several unions, UNITE HERE among them, to take organizing in a new, more effective direction. This is further evidence that the merger has failed in its fundamental purpose; sadly Wilhelm seems to be the last person who will recognize this, despite the wishes of 150,000 members."
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