Reform221

REFORM221 GETS NEW ELECTIONS!

U.S. DEPT OF LABOR SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT REACHED

New Elections to be Held, August 20 - September 21

Mail ballots will go out August 20 and ballots will be counted on September 21, 2010.

SEIU 221 has made an out-of-court agreement to hold new elections for the 12 contested executive board and officer positions. (Four of the 16 board seats were uncontested in 2009, and will not be included in the new elections.) This averts the possibility of a long and expensive trial, and of a court order to nullify the results of the July 2009 elections, but has the same result: new elections run under government supervision, NOT run by the incumbent union officers who got caught stealing the first election.

Reform221 has qualified a team ("slate") of 11 candidates for the ballot. All members of SEIU 221 who want to Take Back Our Union, end the corruption, and build a union that WORKS, are invited to join REFORM221 and help us campaign.

Reform221 candidates for the 2010 Local 221 Executive Board elections are:

Monty Kroopkin -- for President
Diane Sabeghi -- for Vice President
Rose Marie Peralta -- for Treasurer
John Rochfort -- for Secretary
Claudia Millerbragg -- for Chair, Politics Committee
Patrick Martin -- for Chair, Member Organizing Committee
Anna Silva -- for Chair, Social & Economic Justice Committee
Cheryl Bright -- for a County Division seat
Felicia Boyd -- for a County Division seat
Cornelius Hill -- for a County Division seat
Robert Larsen -- for a County Division seat

We ask our supporters to vote for the FULL list of 11 Reform221 candidates. We need a majority of the 16 votes on the Executive Board in order to succeed in implementing our reform program! Check the "slate" box on your ballot!

Federal Complaint Filed to Overturn Election

Chronology of Legal Challenge of Union Election

ELECTION PROTEST FILED WITH UNION ELECTION OFFICIALS, JULY 27, 2009
Full text of Reform221 election protest

PROTEST OFFICER RULES AGAINST ALL 14 CHARGES, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009
See the ruling at http://www.unionbook.org/pg/pages/view/18427/

APPEAL FILED TO SEIU PRESIDENT, ANDY STERN, SEPTEMBER 30, 2009
Full text of the appeal and related documents are at http://www.unionbook.org/pg/pages/view/18649/

COMPLAINT FILED WITH U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, NOVEMBER 16, 2009
With no action on our appeal by the SEIU President Stern, Reform221 took our legal challenge to the federal government.
See at http://www.unionbook.org/pg/pages/view/19690/

Election Over?

LOCAL 221 ELECTION -- JULY 1 - JULY 21, 2009
FORMAL ELECTION PROTEST FILED

The ballots for the election were counted on Tuesday night, July 21. Official results: all 11 Reform221 candidates lost. The incumbents won. Only 750 ballots were cast, out of more than 7,600 eligible members.

But wait! Reform221 has learned that more than 1200 members did not receive a mail ballot! Employees of the union and other election officials violated legally required neutrality. Many other "irregularities" have been uncovered.

Reform221 has filed a formal protest of the election and a demand for a new election. We expect no satisfaction from the internal SEIU protest review. We are prepared to take the case to the federal Department of Labor. That process often takes 3 or 4 months, just to meet requirements for filing the case with the government. However, it is possible to get a new election ordered by the government, and under the supervision of the Secretary of Labor.

Local 221 handles more than $7 million of our union dues each year. We cannot allow control of this union to be decided by any election that is "dirty".

The full text of the protest can be viewed at http://www.unionbook.org/pg/pages/view/16622/

The supporting evidence and documents can be viewed at http://www.unionbook.org/pg/file/group:16610

Reform221 is asking members and friends of SEIU Local 221 who may have additional evidence relating to the issues raised in the protest to contact us at reform221@earthlink.net or call 858-373-7018. You can also post comments about all this at http://www.unionbook.org/pg/groups/16610/reform221/

For further information about the federal law concerning union elections, see the Department of Labor website at http://www.dol.gov/esa/olms/regs/compliance/compllmrda.htm

See also at the Association for Union Democracy at http://www.uniondemocracy.org/Legal/lmrda.htm#elections

The official Local 221 election information is at http://www.seiu221.org/Presidential___Executive_Board_Election_Results.aspx

and at
http://www.seiu221.org/SEIU_Local_221_Executive_Board_and_Presidential_Election_Information_.aspx

Reform221 Candidates for the 2009 Executive Board elections

Monty Kroopkin for President

Diane Sabeghi for Vice President

John Rochfort for Secretary

Robert Larsen for Treasurer

Rose Marie Peralta for the executive board Schools seat

Cornelius Hill for an executive board County seat

Renée Keester-Wellman for an executive board County seat

Linda Johanesen for an executive board County seat

Dawnetta Meshack for an executive board County seat

Sandra Guerra for Chair, Social & Economic Justice Committee

Denise Knobloch for Chair, Member Organizer Committee

see the 2009 candidate statements, below.

To see our Reform221 Platform, go to our new 2010 campaign website at www.reform22.com and click on "What We Stand For"

Past President of Fallbrook Schools Chapter of Local 221
Para-Professionals Steward, and Member, Chapter Negotiating Team, 10 years
Served on Executive Board of SEIU 102
Delegate to SEIU International Convention
Past President of San Diego Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)Member of SEIU Locals 102, 2028, and 221, 28 years.
28 years experience political campaigns, precinct walking, rallies and actions

We believe that members are the real source of strength for our union and the people behind every victory.

Our union must be democratic and bottom-up. It's not just what's right, it's the only way to win! Members fight everyday in our workplaces to build strong unions, and we are the most effective political campaigners and organizers of new workers.

We must re-unite and rebuild the labor movement, and we must build political power to demand real social and economic justice.

We propose a powerful Stewards Council. Elected stewards are the backbone of any real union. A Stewards Council should function in relation to the Executive Board much like the U.S. House of Representatives functions in relation to the Senate.

If you want a real union, Vote Reform221!

18 years County employee. 11 years Steward.
Former Elected Local 535 Statewide Executive Board Member
Elected Union Negotiator, 2006 Local 535 County contract
Amnesty International Activist

Our union must advocate for the communities we serve, protect our rights to speak out on safety and patient care, and fight for adequate funding for public services.

100% enforcement of our contracts and labor laws. Allowing our employers to ignore our rights makes these contracts and laws worthless pieces of paper. We urgently need to enforce the laws which prohibit employers from unilaterally increasing workloads.

We propose a powerful Stewards Council. Elected stewards are the backbone of any real union. A Stewards Council should function in relation to the Executive Board much like the U.S. House of Representatives functions in relation to the Senate.

The Local 221 constitution should be easier to amend! It should not take 10% of the whole membership to petition for a vote on an amendment. We propose making it no more than 5%.

We must re-unite and rebuild the labor movement, and we must build political power to demand real social and economic justice.

Vote Reform221!

Steward. Single Mom.

It's time to remind our leaders that SEIU is a union of, by, and for the members!

Reform221 is part of a movement throughout all of SEIU to take back our union and prevent corruption and the abuse of power by our leaders.

All members must have the right to vote for SEIU officers and negotiating teams, on our contracts, and to authorize strikes. We will not accept more secret deals or appointed leaders.

The 221 Executive Board, with only 16 seats, is much too small and cannot possibly give fair representation to our large and diverse membership. It is much too small to even have meaningful working committees. We need proportional representation! We need seats on the board to represent every worksite and every type of work we do.

Publish our Stewards Roster on the Local 221 website. Post a hard copy on every union bulletin board at every worksite. Communications between stewards and activists should be direct, member-to-member, and contact information should NOT be horded and manipulated by a handful of officials at our union hall.

If you want a real union, Vote Reform221!

ELECTED AND SERVED TWO TERMS ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF LOCAL 2028.

EMPLOYED BY THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO FOR 32 YEARS.

GOT INVOLVED WITH SEIU WHEN THEY STARTED REPRESENTING COUNTY EMPLOYEES IN THE LATE 1980's. I REALIZED THAT SOMEONE HAD TO STEP UP AT MY WORK SITE AND MAKE SURE MY COWORKERS KNEW THEY HAD RIGHTS. I ACCEPTED THE CHALLENGE AND BECAME A STEWARD.

A VERY ACTIVE STEWARD. I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER POLITICAL ORGANIZER, HAVE WALKED DISTRICTS DURING ELECTION TIME, HAVE PHONE BANKED, HAVE BEEN ON LOBBYING TRIPS TO SACRAMENTO AND WASHINGTON, DC.

I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT OUR LOCAL HAS AN OBLIGATION TO SEE THAT THE MEMBERSHIP HAS GOOD SALARIES SO WE CAN PROVIDE FOR OUR FAMILIES, SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS, THE ABILITY AND RIGHT TO SPEAK UP AT OUR WORK SITE AND NOT BE SINGLED OUT AND HARASSED. ALSO, TO HAVE THE BEST HEALTH CARE PLAN POSSIBLE.

AS A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD I PROMISE I WILL CONTIUE TO FIGHT FOR THE RANK AND FILE MEMBERSHIP.

IN UNITY,
VOTE REFORM221 !

Steward. County employee 7 years.

We propose a powerful Stewards Council. Elected stewards are the backbone of any real union. A Stewards Council should function in relation to the Executive Board in much the same way that the U.S. House of Representatives functions in relation to the Senate.

Officers and stewards should be subject to recall. Elected stewards should be removed only by recall election or by verdict of an elected union trial board. Our current constitution allows the President to remove stewards, and opens the door for political retaliation and the suppression of differing views within the union. We must change this.

Employees of the union should NOT be allowed to run for union President, or any other office, or allowed to vote. It is a conflict of interest. Do we really want union staff to tell us how much they are going to pay themselves (with OUR dues money?)

Abolish the “Call Center”. Workers with grievances or contract questions should be able to talk to a union representative, IN PERSON, not at some distant call center.

Vote Reform221 !

Social Welfare Chapter Vice-President
Former Elected Local 535 Statewide Executive Board Member
Delegate, SEIU 2008 International Convention
San Diego County Latino Association Representative, District 1
Phone banking, precinct walking, political campaigns.
Attended UCLA Camp Wellstone political campaign organizing.
Union-Management Committee Member
By-laws Committee Member
Internal Security and Skelley representations as Steward

Our Union should be member oriented. Member needs are my highest priority. Members should not feel like beggars when requesting services from the local. As a legacy 535 member, I recall having 3 reps. for about 2000 members. Now we have 3 reps for a much larger membership. I have seen a decline in quality of representation, benefit losses such as in the ability to contact your rep or “worksite organizer”. I have seen a noticeable change in the priority regarding the membership. I will:

Restore quality of service. Members are my highest priority.

Ensure member calls are answered and questions are resolved.

Treat members with courtesy and respect.

Ensure that our union supports members 100%.

Strive for member education and empowerment.

Members are our number one priority. Please vote Reform221.

Active Union Steward - Labor Management – County Bargaining Team Representing Health and Human Services – Political work involvement

I BELIEVE EVERYONE DESERVES A VOICE. I WILL EMPOWER ALL MEMBERS TO HAVE A VOICE AND HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR RIGHTS

I WILL MAKE UNION ORGANIZERS ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIVE TO YOUR NEEDS

YOU ASK WHAT DOES THE UNION DO FOR US AND WHERE DO OUR DUES GO. ANSWER: WE ARE SUPPORTING THE TOP UNION STAFFERS HIGH SALARIES BENEFITS AND MANY PERKS

UNIONS CAME INTO BEING TO PROTECT WORKERS RIGHTS BENEFITS WORKING CONDITIONS SAFETY SECURITY CONTRACTS MAKING A BETTER FUTURE FOR EMPLOYEES. UNIONS HAVE MOVED TO THE BUSINESS OF MAKING MONEY. I WILL WORK TO REVERSE THIS TREND MAKING THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THE UNION TO WORK FOR US NOT US WORKING FOR THEM

I WILL ABOLISH THE CALL CENTER AND GET BACK TO PERSON-TO-PERSON ASSISTANCE

I DID NOT JOIN THE UNION TO SUPPORT THE TOP STAFFERS. I JOINED TO SUPPORT A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THOSE WHO WORK SO HARD AND GET SO LITTLE

WE NEED YOU
YOU NEED US
VOTE REFORM221

“Why am I paying so much money in dues when the union doesn’t do a damn thing for me?”

This is what I hear repeatedly when I speak to my co-workers and to my constituents as a steward.

In the light of recent history we can no longer afford to rubber stamp the dispersal of our union funds without careful scrutiny.

We cannot hope to achieve this new level of transparency without a thorough reform of the current leadership and practices.

The Reform221 slate is the only group of candidates running for office that is committed to reform. The other slates are only concerned with maintaining the status quo.

If you are unhappy with the way the union is being run at this time there is only one option: vote for Reform221!

Steward
Elected Union Negotiator, 2009 Local 221 County contract
Retired Navy journalist

YOU, AS COUNTY EMPLOYEES, HAVE DEMONSTRATED A VALUABLE WORK ETHIC

YOU, DESERVE A PAY AND BENEFITS PACKAGE THAT ACKNOWLEDGES YOUR EFFORTS

YOU, DESERVE A UNION THAT WILL STAND UP FOR YOU DURING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

YOU, ARE ENTITLED TO A UNION THAT SERVES YOU, THE WORKER

YOU NEED A UNION THAT IS ACTIVE IN YOUR WORKPLACE AND WILL STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS

YOU PAY THE DUES……..THE UNION WORKS FOR YOU!

YOUR VOTE COUNTS!

IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE CURRENT STATE OF OUR UNION…….

IT’S YOUR UNION….IT’S YOUR CHOICE…….

VOTE REFORM221

If you want a real union, vote Reform221!

Spent four years organizing co-workers at Neighborhood House Association Head Start to join SEIU and helped bargain our first contract.

I come from a four generation union family, including my daughter, Mina Sabeghi, who worked as a union representative for SEIU 2028.

I will make your rights and benefits at work respected by management and protected by your union - to enforce and uphold your contract.

I will work hard to earn your union dues. When Reform221 is in office representing you, you will be proud to say "It pays to be in the union". Isn't that why you pay your union dues?

Reform221 is the only group of candidates who will make serious changes. The other 2 slates were formed by incumbents of the current do-nothing executive board. You will get more of the poor quality representation and the union reps you seldom see, unless you vote for Reform221.

Steward, 7 years.
Social justice organizing, study and writing, 42 years.

Won a contract arbitration and settlement of unfair labor practice charge against the County, 2008

Organizer for S.M.A.R.T. -- SEIU Member Activists for Reform Today, an international rank-and-file movement for democratic reform and to end corruption in SEIU http://www.seiusmart.org/

Elected Union Negotiator, for 2006 Local 535 and 2009 Local 221, County contracts (voted “no”)

Union-Management committees, 2002-2007

Reform221 is the only group who will change anything. The other 2 slates are led by “do nothing” incumbent executive board members. So many members are leaving SEIU, including the whole Probation Officers Association, that if we don’t seriously change the union’s direction now, there may not be any union left to change.

We will cut Local 221 President’s salary to the average of what our members earn. Our President is now paid $130,354! It breeds arrogance when the Union President is paid vastly more than what the average worker makes.

Enforce our contracts and labor laws! Allowing employers to ignore them makes them worthless pieces of paper. We need to enforce laws which prohibit employers from unilaterally increasing workloads!

VOTE Reform221!

Reform221 has a new Website, effective August 2010

TO VIEW SETTLEMENT NOTICE CLICK THE NEXT LINE

Federal Complaint Filed to Overturn Election

Election Over?

Thursday, July 15, 2010

new website, Reform221.com active as of August 2010

Despite Legal Complaint to Throw Out Election, New 221 Officers Installed

Articles on Local 221 Elections and Scandal

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