NET-workers

Anna Burger, SEIU International Secretary-Treasurer blogs that the AFL-CIO national convention is not democratic, because 57 percent of the delegates represent central labor councils and state federations, not national unions. While I think this is an interesting point, and I am definitely interested in making sure workers' voices are hear and figuring out how the union movement can better be worker-driven, I have several reservations.

-First, it seems suspicious that the SEIU is bringing up this criticism now. The first person to comment on the SEIU blog asks this important question and reminds us that the SEIU has had ten years to raise this question but has never done so (until now). That makes this seem more like a strategic move than a principled one.

-Second, as I've posted before, the current shake-up appears to be really leader-driven, not rank-and-file driven. If the SEIU's true goal is to make workers' voices heard, then it just doesn't seem like they've been doing a very good job. Even the Unite to Win blog seems a bit backward to me, with the posting set up as a one-way communication rather than as a real discussion with Stern, Burger, and workers all having the same authority and space to post.

-And third, I'm not sure what model Burger is advocating. Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think that the SEIU has a one-member, one-vote system.