Posted on 09/05/2008 8:56:35 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
The Service Employees International Union announced Thursday that it had placed a senior manager at its biggest California local on leave and that two lower-ranking staffers had lost their jobs, because of allegations that other employees were retaliated against in connection with a widening spending scandal.
The Times reported last month that some workers who did not immediately sign a letter of support for the Los Angeles local's president, Tyrone Freeman, who is at the center of the scandal, had their union cellphone service canceled and were transferred to distant jobs.
One staffer who balked at signing the letter was later fired, according to co-workers.
During a subsequent staff meeting, some employees threatened to retaliate further against anyone who provided information to The Times about Freeman, several of those in attendance said.
In a statement Thursday, SEIU President Andy Stern said: "Any acts of intimidation or retaliation against our members, staff or leaders are deeply offensive to our core values as a union, and we will move immediately and aggressively to bring disciplinary action, including termination if necessary, against any responsible parties."
A union spokeswoman said the fired Bay Area staffer has been rehired, the transfers have been revoked, and the cell service has been restored.
The alleged retaliation and threats are part of a federal criminal investigation into the local's spending practices, people familiar with the probe say.
The manager placed on leave, Matthew Maldonaldo, is a top aide to Freeman, who stepped aside last month; he could not be reached for comment.
The two lower-ranking employees also could not be located for interviews. SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said one was fired and the other resigned.
Neither Ringuette nor Stern offered details on the alleged conduct that prompted the union to take action against the three.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
and look at the dollar values and salaries of the union thugs involved in this. The worker is getting raped alright, but not by big business. Now there's a problem with executive pay. BTW, speaking of executive pay, how much does Michelle Obama make and what does she do to earn it? Let's apply a little "equal pay" math on her job versus the low-wage caregivers at her hospital.
Union corruption? Hard to believe. Almost as hard to believe as corruption in Chicago politics.
And they want to eliminate the private vote...
The California SEIU has more power than Arnold or the legislature. Pathetic.
What happens if union management wants to fire a union employee?
Perhaps the union employee should form a union of those working for the union?
Maybe the union employees union should threaten to go on strike?
Just too confusing.
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