Members of SEIU’s largest and most powerful public employee local in California, local 1000, are gathering signatures to end their affiliation with SEIU and become the California Professional Public Employees Association. Over 28,000 of the local’s 98,000 members have already filed paperwork to become ‘non-germane objectors’ a move that retains their collective bargaining rights while preventing SEIU from charging an individual more than the proven cost of bargaining and maintaining the contract. Disgruntled members are also now collecting signatures on a decertification petition. Dissidents question how the local spends $63M a year in dues when their representation is so poor. They also object to their dues being spent to further SEIU’s political and social agenda. SEIU refused an interview with CBS instead sending the following statement. “We see potential for great abuse and danger for individuals who sign these documents and have taken the steps to alert our members of the potential abuse. CPPEA has no standing with the state and is recruiting state employees based on a pure falsehood. People should view representation claims by CPPEA with the same skepticism as the Nigerian money schemes we receive in our email box each month.” This certainly spells more big California trouble for SEIU and looking over the CPPEA site the organization appears anything but “grassroots.” Given all that has gone down in California for SEIU in recent past – multi-million dollar embezzlement scandals, union warfare and internal upheaval of epic proportions – one really has to wonder…
