SEIU International v. CNA Battle Escalates to Court and Threatens Political Campaigns

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

This diary is not an enjoyable one to write.  However, it would be neglectful if we let this issue, which is now in the mainstream news, and all over the ads you see to the right, slide by without a mention on the front page.  CNA and SEIU are fighting over organizing the same workers, which has lead to physical confrontations and now a restraining order.  Andy Stern has been ordered to appear in a Alameda Court room.  LAT

The California Nurses Assn. on Wednesday secured a temporary restraining order against the Service Employees International Union, accusing it of harassing the board members of the Oakland-based group.

The two influential nationwide unions have a long, acrimonious rivalry that reached a new height in March after they publicly battled over whether the SEIU should represent more than 8,000 nurses and other healthcare workers in Ohio. [snip]...

The restraining order requires SEIU President Andy Stern to appear at a hearing at Alameda County Superior Court on May 1. It orders SEIU members and staff to stay at least 100 yards from all staff with the California Nurses Assn. and its national arm, the National Nurses Organizing Committee.

CNA and SEIU have been battling for years, but the tone and aggressiveness right now is at a fever pitch.  Over the past few years the blogosphere and the new power brokers in the progressive left have built up relationships with both sides and it is painful to see them attack each other with such ferocity.  Unfortunately, it appears that the dispute may have a devastating impact on our ability to accomplish our mutual political goals during this crucial election year.

In retaliation, Andy Stern has ordered locals to withhold money from labor councils. (flip it)
Shane has the story in the Bee and man is it depressing to read.

A deepening divide between two of the nation's largest labor groups - prompted by a maverick California nurses union - has labor leaders worried the rift could "devastate" the movement's election-year priorities.

Service Employees International Union, with 1.7 million members, has instructed local chapters across America to withhold funding from state and local labor federations to protest what they call union-poaching activity by the California Nurses Association.

We are talking about millions of dollars here that should be going right into political activities.  This better be some serious saber rattling.  Actually following through would hurt the International as much as CNA.  After all, CNA is not directly benefitting from money coming into the labor councils from SEIU locals.  Instead he is using this as a leverage point to engage other unions in the battle.  What happens if it doesn't work to Stern's satisfaction?

The move could cost labor central committees - the backbone of labor's sophisticated political and get-out-the-vote operation - millions of dollars on the eve of June 3 legislative primaries in California and the Nov. 4 presidential contest.

It could prevent labor federations in California from fully flexing their muscles in contested Democratic primaries for the state Legislature. Labor also has made electing a Democratic president a top priority in 2008.

"It would devastate the labor council," said John Borsos, president of the Sacramento Central Labor Council. The move, he said, would deprive the group "of the funds necessary to sustain a political campaign.

The longer this drags out, the more damaging this will be to the overall progressive political movement.  I would much rather we be focusing our fire on the Republicans than see to partners go to court for restraining orders, withholding political organizing money and attack each other via blog ads.  While the money is good for this site, the destruction caused by this bitter battle is exponentially worse.

While there are legitimate grievances and significant ideological splits between the two, they are risking causing a lot more damage to the broader movement by continuing along this nasty path.