Your daily "WTF is up with SEIU?" update

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Yup, this is part 3 in the series. Today, a snazzy letter from Andy Stern aficionado Tyrone Freeman, president of United Long-Term Care Workers' Union, another union with over 100,000 members. He seems to be a proponent of just gettin 'er done. Freeman gives no indications of what plan he's talking about, but you get the sense that some plan, any plan, would work with him. Be that ABx1 1 or whatever it is that Arnold's got cooking.

The funny thing is, Arnold's plan isn't really on the table. The Democrats aren't going to just drop their demands of affordability, nor are the other It's OUR Healthcare coalition partners (I'll let others speak to that with more insight though).  SEIU alone doesn't determine whether Arnold's healthcare will pass.  Is Arnold's plan better than Massachusetts? Probably, but it's still not good enough for California. And that's what's frustrating about this excerpt from the letter:

? Healthcare reform, as it realistically could be passed this year, will set a benchmark, like a minimum wage, where currently there is none.

We can't half-ass this and expect to come back to healthcare in 3 years. It's just not going to happen. And when you make it law that everybody must pay for insurance to a cartel of insurance providers, you better be damn well sure that you cover all your bases and provide a workable system.

December 3, 2007

Dear Andy,

It is most disheartening to see one of the most significant issues of our time characterized as an internal political squabble, where it is implied that UHW alone has the "courage to continue to stand up for our principles." Nothing could be farther from the truth. The facts are this: SEIU International has set a progressive and innovative course to lift up and protect the working people of this country. SEIU International has rightly recognized that old methods and tactics don't work-that we are facing a new day that requires, not compromise, but a different type of dialogue, where approaches are no longer strictly adversarial, but, in contrast, seek to find common ground. This isn't acquiescence, it's pragmatism, and it is the road to opening doors, where for years they have been closed.

Central to SEIU's mission is the provision of healthcare for all---the front-burner issue facing the state of California and the nation. California is at the precipice of enacting far-reaching, meaningful healthcare reform. Those who typically stand at ideological odds have come together to hash out a proposal that is a big step toward making inroads in a decades-long struggle to provide healthcare to those who go without. While it may not mirror the panacea we may have put forth in our internal meetings, it represents important progress toward providing coverage for the six million Californians who have none.

At our core, we represent working people.

? Healthcare reform, as it realistically could be passed this year, recognizes that employers must play a fundamental role in paying for coverage.

? Healthcare reform, as it realistically could be passed this year, expands public programs and provides subsidies to make coverage affordable for working people.

? Healthcare reform, as it realistically could be passed this year, will set a benchmark, like a minimum wage, where currently there is none.

What is being proposed is not perfect. No one is saying otherwise. As a labor union, we can and must continue to be visionary. But being visionary also means being able to recognize an opportunity to pass a sweeping reform that pragmatically restructures our health care system to make quality care available and affordable.

I make this statement as a Local leader who represents 150,000 low-income long-term care workers in California. My view of this issue is clear, and it stretches from northern California to southern California, from the largest urban centers to the most rural. Healthcare reform is what our members want and need, and we must do what we can to make it a reality. I take great exception to our efforts being portrayed as some kind of insurgency or takeover among SEIU Locals. California State Council has been without a leader since October 15, 2007. This is not a new development; it is part of a program agreed upon as part of our reorganization. We are now preparing to fulfill our democratically-agreed upon process to select new leadership that will determine the direction of our State Council.

SEIU's dedication to its members and commitment to universal healthcare is clearly evidenced by our track record. The majority of California leaders stand ready to work energetically toward the enactment of realistic and significant healthcare reform that will surely make a great difference to our members and their families.

In Unity,

Tyrone Freeman

President

United Long-Term Care Workers' Union

SEIU Local 6434