Dirty Tricks = Politics as Usual for Segat
Folks,
It has come to our attention that someone distributed flyers and emails to the membership at the Boston Police Department. Both the flyers and the emails were offensive and apparently threatened Segat and the 888 Staff and they were purported to have come from our team.
The Bring Back Our Union Team and Change888.org had nothing to do with this.
This is a simple “dirty trick” by the Segat campaign.
And it should surprise no one that the Segat campaign would stoop this low.
President Segat is desperate to hang on to power any way she can.
So we should expect more dirty tricks ahead.
The Segat campaign was probably trying to minimize the damage caused by recent revelations that Segat gave herself a $20,000 raise and handed out similar increases to her top appointees last year and then had to layoff 5 attorneys and reps because of 888’s ongoing budget crisis. And all this among layoffs and wage freezes faced by 888 members who paid the dues that Segat fritters away.
So Segat is doing anything she can to keep the focus off of her record.
If anyone comes across any more dirty tricks, fake flyers or offensive emails please let us know by posting a comment on this blog.
And please remember we are solely focused on getting the word out about the problems at 888 and Our Program for Change.
So don’t get distracted by these dirty tricks: Think about what you’ve seen from your Union for the past 6 years under Segat's administration and what you think your Union should be.
Together we can Change SEIU 888!
Town Hall Forum
The original idea for this blog was to serve as a forum for the members of SEIU 888 to be able to reach out across the state and communicate with members in other units; to be able to share their ideas and experiences with one another.
One of the things we’ve learned as we struggled to reach out to our brothers and sisters is that many share a common experience:
One of the things we’ve learned as we struggled to reach out to our brothers and sisters is that many share a common experience:
- Members feel isolated and disconnected from their union.
- They question why the only time they see union staff is during contract negotiations.
- Unit stewards have experienced such a rapid turnover of staff and constant lack of response from Charleston to their requests for help in pursuing grievances and enforcing their contracts, that they've come to believe they are on their own.
What most members don't realize is that we've all had the same experience.
That's because under President Segat all intra-union communications originate in the Charlestown office and trickle-down to the members; making it nearly impossible for members to communicate directly with one another. Making it nearly impossible for us to act like a Union.
We'd like to break that hold on power.
This is after all, a nation founded on the principle of free speech.
So lets have some!
Please post your thoughts, questions and ideas about, and your experiences with, SEIU 888.
PS. You can post anonymously, so there's no need to worry about retaliation from Charlestown.
Bumper Stickers and Movies?
Word reaches us that President Segat is sending out union staff (on union time) to distribute campaign bumper stickers.
Has anyone seen a single car (besides Segat's and her cronies) with such a bumper sticker? If you do, please let us know by posting a comment on the blog.
Funny, but somehow we can't picture the members of 888, who have been so badly underserved by the Segat regime, lining up eagerly to slap Segat stickers on the back of their cars.
Of course if this rumor is really true - it would be blatant violation of federal law as well as the SEIU constitution: Using paid staff for her own personal campaign is a No - No.
In a similar vein, and in another shameless use of union resources to further her own campaign, Segat today sent out an email to all of us from the SEIU action center.
Telling members that her "goal is to get little thumb-nail sketches of each one of you." Segat promises to venture forth from her $250,000 a year office with a video camera in hand to interview us.
Ha! We'd love to watch the videos she would get from the irate members in so many of the units that have been ignored until now.
I'm sure alot of us would like to tell just what she can do with that video camera - and in fact would love to give her a hand in doing so.
But remember folks, don't do anything you'll regret on video!!
So if Segat actually does show up at your chapter with her brand new video camera (that was paid for with our dues) keep your cool, take a deep breathe and tell the camera just how you feel about her dysfunctional leadership.
Of course if you do, you can bet your "little thumb nail sketch" won't be posted on the 888 website, but that's not really what a union is for is it? To make movies?
Has anyone seen a single car (besides Segat's and her cronies) with such a bumper sticker? If you do, please let us know by posting a comment on the blog.
Funny, but somehow we can't picture the members of 888, who have been so badly underserved by the Segat regime, lining up eagerly to slap Segat stickers on the back of their cars.
Of course if this rumor is really true - it would be blatant violation of federal law as well as the SEIU constitution: Using paid staff for her own personal campaign is a No - No.
In a similar vein, and in another shameless use of union resources to further her own campaign, Segat today sent out an email to all of us from the SEIU action center.
Telling members that her "goal is to get little thumb-nail sketches of each one of you." Segat promises to venture forth from her $250,000 a year office with a video camera in hand to interview us.
Ha! We'd love to watch the videos she would get from the irate members in so many of the units that have been ignored until now.
I'm sure alot of us would like to tell just what she can do with that video camera - and in fact would love to give her a hand in doing so.
But remember folks, don't do anything you'll regret on video!!
So if Segat actually does show up at your chapter with her brand new video camera (that was paid for with our dues) keep your cool, take a deep breathe and tell the camera just how you feel about her dysfunctional leadership.
Of course if you do, you can bet your "little thumb nail sketch" won't be posted on the 888 website, but that's not really what a union is for is it? To make movies?
More Departed Staff
The following should be added to The List of Departed 888 Staff:
Atty. Joshua Coleman, hired in early 2008 as Director of Grievances & Arbitrations. Position eliminated in March/April 2008.
Atty. John Maher, retired Arlington town counsel, hired as a bargaining representative in April 2008, resigned approximately three months later.
Atty. Marsha Graham, hired February 2008 as Director of the Member Resource Center, laid off on October 17, 2008 "due to serious fiscal issues."
Long-time staffer Tina Hayes, who represented members in grievances that came through the MRC, laid off on October 17, 2008 "due to serious fiscal issues."
Atty. Glenna Wyman, bargaining representative hired in March 2008, laid off on October 17, 2008 "due to serious fiscal issues."
Unknown attorney hired to start as a bargaining representative on October 20, 2008, notified October 17 or over the weekend before his start date that his position was eliminated due to serious fiscal issues.
Related news as of 10-19-08: Patrice Devin is expected to staff the Member Resource Center, overseen by staff attorney Harold Jones, hired in April 2008.
(Devin is infamous among the staff for creeping around the office and listening at closed doors so she can report them to Segat for their supposed disloyalties. In no way should she ever be trusted to give advice on even a Step 1 grievance. She simply has no clue. - Change888)
That is the extent of the MRC staff.
It is rumored that grievances will now be handled by Local 888's four "Engagement Representatives," three of whom were hired in February 2008 with no union background/experience and no training.
Local 888's "serious fiscal issues" rumored to include the following: E-Board treasurer Fred Fantini's recent review of 888's books raised concerns about solvency; post-Columbus Day meetings with state officials indicate projected layoffs may substantially reduce dues revenue; high legal bills incurred for, among other things, arbitrations assigned to outside counsel after loss of internal legal staff, and legal responses to chapters seeking to decertify.
October 19, 2008 4:27 PM
Atty. Joshua Coleman, hired in early 2008 as Director of Grievances & Arbitrations. Position eliminated in March/April 2008.
Atty. John Maher, retired Arlington town counsel, hired as a bargaining representative in April 2008, resigned approximately three months later.
Atty. Marsha Graham, hired February 2008 as Director of the Member Resource Center, laid off on October 17, 2008 "due to serious fiscal issues."
Long-time staffer Tina Hayes, who represented members in grievances that came through the MRC, laid off on October 17, 2008 "due to serious fiscal issues."
Atty. Glenna Wyman, bargaining representative hired in March 2008, laid off on October 17, 2008 "due to serious fiscal issues."
Unknown attorney hired to start as a bargaining representative on October 20, 2008, notified October 17 or over the weekend before his start date that his position was eliminated due to serious fiscal issues.
Related news as of 10-19-08: Patrice Devin is expected to staff the Member Resource Center, overseen by staff attorney Harold Jones, hired in April 2008.
(Devin is infamous among the staff for creeping around the office and listening at closed doors so she can report them to Segat for their supposed disloyalties. In no way should she ever be trusted to give advice on even a Step 1 grievance. She simply has no clue. - Change888)
That is the extent of the MRC staff.
It is rumored that grievances will now be handled by Local 888's four "Engagement Representatives," three of whom were hired in February 2008 with no union background/experience and no training.
Local 888's "serious fiscal issues" rumored to include the following: E-Board treasurer Fred Fantini's recent review of 888's books raised concerns about solvency; post-Columbus Day meetings with state officials indicate projected layoffs may substantially reduce dues revenue; high legal bills incurred for, among other things, arbitrations assigned to outside counsel after loss of internal legal staff, and legal responses to chapters seeking to decertify.
October 19, 2008 4:27 PM
The Time For Change is NOW!
If you are a member of SEIU Local 888 and are tired of the lack of represenation, the constant turnover of staff and the absence of democracy in our union . . . the time to get organized is now.
The purpose of this website is to provide a forum for 888 members to communicate and learn about their union by sharing information with each other and to organize ourselves take responsibility and control of our own union.
In less than a year SEIU 888 will hold an election for all union offices. If you are dissatisfied with the lack of leadership and representation that you have seen over the past 5 years, now is the time to start organizing a member led slate of candidates. Now is the time to step up and get involved.
Please take a few minutes to post your thoughts and ideas on this blog for other members read and respond to. This is the only way we can communicate with each other openly. If you believe that union members should control their own union please speak up now and join with us to reform SEIU Local 888.
The purpose of this website is to provide a forum for 888 members to communicate and learn about their union by sharing information with each other and to organize ourselves take responsibility and control of our own union.
In less than a year SEIU 888 will hold an election for all union offices. If you are dissatisfied with the lack of leadership and representation that you have seen over the past 5 years, now is the time to start organizing a member led slate of candidates. Now is the time to step up and get involved.
Please take a few minutes to post your thoughts and ideas on this blog for other members read and respond to. This is the only way we can communicate with each other openly. If you believe that union members should control their own union please speak up now and join with us to reform SEIU Local 888.
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