• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Statement From UNITE HERE General President Bruce Raynor on Today's General Executive Board Meeting

Posted on: Friday, 13 March 2009, 17:59 CDT

NEW YORK, March 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070817/CLF013LOGO)

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.

SOURCE UNITE HERE

Source: PR Newswire

More News in this Category