Two factions inside SEIU Healthcare Michigan are brawling in
federal court over upcoming union elections, according to a lawsuit filed in
U.S. District Court (see copy below). The SEIU officials are apparently battling
over who gets to stay on the union’s payroll after the union loses 45,000 of its members.
Here’s what’s going on:
Next year, SEIU Healthcare Michigan will hold internal
elections for its officers, including president, secretary-treasurer, etc. In
advance of the upcoming election, one faction of the union's officials -- headed
by current President Marge Faville -- is
trying to amend the union's constitution so as to change the rules by which
candidates can be nominated for the election.
That's how the court brawl erupted. Faville's faction wants to conduct a mail-in
vote to approve the re-written constitution. A second faction -- headed by
Secretary-Treasurer Johnnie Jolliffi
and Recording Secretary Sheila Guinn
-- says a mail-in ballot would violate the union's constitution. According to
them, the constitution strictly requires an in-person membership meeting and a
two-thirds majority vote before the constitution can be altered.
Last month, the Jolliffi/Guinn
faction sued Faville and SEIU Healthcare Michigan in federal court. The lawsuit
seeks an injunction to block SEIU Healthcare Michigan from conducting an
illegal mail-in vote. Various Purple Palace officials are named in the court action, including
SEIU President Mary Kay Henry and
Executive VP Kirk Adams.
Here’s an excerpt from “Jolliffi el al (Plaintiffs) vs. SEIU
Healthcare Michigan (Defendants).”
The Local Union, SEIU Healthcare Michigan, is trying to amend its Constitution without following the provisions of its Constitution and Bylaws. The main purpose is to change the procedures for nominating officers to be elected to the Local... Plaintiffs have complained to both the Local Union and the International Union about this action, but have received no satisfactory response. This matter is very urgent...Defendant is violating the Local Constitution... Defendant's actions are illegal... Defendant is violating the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959... In total disregard of the provisions of its constitution, Defendant is preventing its members from discussing at a union meeting the important matter of an amendment to the union constitution… Defendant is violating Section 301 of the Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947… Defendant is liable for a breach of contract under state law.In order to bring this matter before the membership in the manner required by the local Constitution and Bylaws, Plaintiffs request a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.
So what’s fueling the bitter courtroom brawl? Apparently,
the lawsuit is simply the public face of a much deeper battle for control over
the rapidly dwindling membership of SEIU
Healthcare Michigan. Tasty hears that the leaders of both factions -- Marge
Faville, Johnnie Jolliffi and Sheila Guinn -- are all ineffective fatcats.
Faville,
for example, pockets $172,000 a year from union members who mostly earn minimum
wage. Do you remember SEIU’s famous slogan of “Fight for a Fair Economy?” Well,
apparently the Purple Palace forgot to look in the mirror -- especially at the
fact that SEIU officials are “living large” off the paychecks of impoverished
workers, including the 45,000 members of SEIU Healthcare Michigan who earn only
$8 an hour.
Jolliffi and Guinn are no better. Here’s what this trio
of purple officials earned in 2011, according to the union’s filing with the U.S.
Department of Labor. (Click on the image to enlarge it.)
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| SEIU Healthcare Michigan's Form LM-2 for 2011 |
Finally, here’s a full copy of the lawsuit:
