221 Member Barred From Bringing Legal Counsel To Trial
Not only will SEIU Local 221 Member Wally Gutierrez not get representation from his union at his upcoming trial, he cannot even bring his own attorney!
The sequence of events follows:
- Aug 17th - Mr. Gutierrez requests that Local 221 provide represenatation for him at his trial
- Aug 19th - Local 221 responds, declines to provide representation
- Aug 20th - Mr. Gutierrez requests clarification on bringing his own legal representation
- Aug 21th - Local 221 responds, no legal counsel allowed
Comments
Locked Out of Our Hall
Margie Johnson, appointed Executive Board member, stated at the quarterly crafts meeting that she represents the County workers. She even told Wally that she would represent him. And yet, big as day-there she was at the trial testifying against Wally for a petition that was mailed to all stewards by Monty. Decieving the E-Board with lies. Wally didn't mail that petition, Monty did. I got one too and that was the pre-printed return address label. And Monty told the reporter that the night of the trial. Too bad Monty couldn't testify that night. Please Margie, before you represent any other County worker, GET THE FACTS RIGHT....
Margie Johnson is ONE of the Local 221 Executive Board members who is a County employee. She is not the ONLY one, so if she is saying that she is THE representative for County workers, then she is, uh, MISREPRESENTING the facts. Also on the E-Board is Merrill Mickelson, Rick Lovett, Omar Lopez, Sharon O'Brien, Kathy Griffee, and Alison Barkley. Although their titles do not make it obvious, they are all County employees. And Jim Partridge works for the County Courts. None of them are from the CR & CM bargaining units. All of them are unelected, and un-recallable and unaccountable to the union's membership. They are all part of Andy Stern's massive program of combining local unions, displacing our elected union leaders and putting his own (loyal) appointees in power.
The financial corruption and the corruption of internal union democracy has gotten so bad that there are now criminal investigations being conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor and also a Congressional investigation. Major news reports about this have come out in recent weeks in the L.A. Times, the New York Times, and elsewhere.
For more on the scandal, see http://www.reformseiu.org/ .
The abuses of power here at Local 221 are part of a much bigger scandal in SEIU across the country. It would be wrong to assume that all of the locals and all of the international's officers are dirty. Some truly are dedicated to building a strong, clean, and democratic union. But the evidence on our own unelected Local 221 officers and E-Board members is that they are at best incompetent and look down on the rest of the union membership. They show contempt for union democracy and member control of our own union. And we already know they will not hesitate to break the laws against intimidating members and messing with our rights to participate in union activity, if we speak out against their unelected power and against their policy decisions. At worst, we may discover they also have been using of union dues for illegal purposes.
How dare they tell us we cannot even enter our own union hall. ???? It would have been one thing for them to tell us we could not enter the ROOM where Wally's so-called trial was going on, last Wednesday night. But to tell members (uh, we paid for the buiding and we OWN the union hall) that we cannot even enter THE BUILDING, not even to use the restrooms !?!
They should ALL resign. We must all press harder for elections of new officers and a new executive board. If anybody has not joined SMART yet, what are you waiting for?
-- Monty Kroopkin, Local 221 steward & SMART organizer
Is the E-Board Serious?
Member fighting member? What happened to the Executive Board Oath? "I will not knowingly wrong a member or see a member wronged if it is in my power to prevent it." Shame on Kathy Griffee!!!!! I'm embarrassed by your actions. These charges are based on hearsay alone. Some one told you something......Aren't you the same Kathy Griffee that left in tears the night that Ben had to resign for his misdeeds? Didn't you support him? I wonder if that's why you've done this to Wally? Bringing false charges against a member with malicious intent. Isn't that another charge in Article XVII of the SEIU International bylaws? I hope Wally brings those charges against you!
You go, Wolf! It's disturbing to think that truth will come from the Union Tribune concerning Ms. Griffee. Shame, Shame Shame. I'm SEIU and I vote! Fair share is gone in CR. And if we ever get to elect an EBoard again, you, Margie and Sharon-Frances will be out. How dare you?
Unfair, Unfair, Unfair, SEIU Local 221 is Unfair. “Our Time is now” to stand up to SEIU Local 221 and fight for our rights.
Beware! YOU may be next if you do not agree with SEIU Local 221
Does the Union understand "MARTYR"
What could possibly encourage people to Join/Re-join the Union if they give Wally the Ax?