Resolutions and Statements

Certain unions, most notably the Service Employees International Union, have recently engaged in attempted raids on other unions, and devoted considerably resources to these raids. Beaten back in a raid on the Puerto Rico teachers, Andy Stern has now turned on Unite-Here. This is not just a waste of members' dues money, but weakens both unions, that need unity and all their available resources to meet the challenge of the present economic disaster.

In response to autocratic anti-democratic moves to crush dissidents within SEIU, many SEIU/Health Care West members in California have organized a new union, NUHW. Additional resources, along with every legal and illegal trick in the book, are being used by Stern to stop this effort and bring all of SEIU directly under central control. SEIU locals are deprived of local democracy and forced to accept sweetheart contracts that favor the bosses.

The Peace and Freedom Party expresses its strong concern over these events, and urges that everyone in the labor movement avoid raiding, support democratic control of unions at all levels by their members, and work together with other unions and their members to fight for better wages, hours and working conditions. We urge the political independence of labor, and point out that reliance on the Democratic Party to win what is not fought for on the shop floor has resulted in betrayal after betrayal. Militancy, democracy and unity are needed to win advances for workers.

Adopted by the officers of the Peace and Freedom Party on 11-September-2009