Troubles in Service Workers' Union May Dim Hopes for Labor

"What we're seeing with SEIU is increasingly the modus operandi of organized labor," said Stefan H. Gleason of National Right to Work, an anti-labor group. "It's an increasing emphasis on gaining special privileges from politicians, the chief aim of which is . . . to turn more people into forced dues-paying members."

Stern dismisses such charges from anti-labor groups as a sign of the SEIU's success. "They can't win on the issues, they can't have a discussion on the merits, so they're going to try to demonize people," he said in a phone interview. "I wish it wasn't me they were picking on, but if it wasn't me, it would be someone else."

Stern has received credit for the rapid growth of the SEIU, which includes 1.7 million members. In 2005, Stern declared that the AFL-CIO had grown too complacent and broke off to form a new coalition, Change to Win, that he said would invest more in organizing and political activism. He also formed unlikely alliances with corporate foes, such as Wal-Mart, to call for health-care reform.

But critics within the labor movement say his top-down approach has undercut rank-and-file members and reduced the accountability of chapter leaders such as those he appointed in Los Angeles. Sal Rosselli, head of the dissident Northern California local, argues that Stern has given up too much in the deals he has cut with governors and businesses, all to increase his numbers. Stern says unions must try everything they can to sign up workers, rather than just guard the gains of existing members.

Today's SEIU vote would bust Rosselli's local by breaking off nearly half of its 150,000 members into a new chapter combining all long-term care workers in California. The SEIU is also threatening to seize control of Rosselli's local over charges that it misused funds for political purposes, which Rosselli denies. The battle involves the constituents of key players in Washington -- Solis, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) and Miller, who said many of his constituents are "deeply concerned that their union is being ripped apart by [Stern's] proposal."

To proceed with breaking up his local at the same time as pushing for worker democracy in Washington is "hypocritical," Rosselli said.

Obama's election "is a once-in-70-year opportunity to achieve major reform and progress for working people, and this has the potential to just totally derail it," Rosselli said.

Rose Ann DeMoro, head of the California Nurses Association, an SEIU rival, called Stern a "liability" for Obama. "SEIU is the new poster child for bad union behavior and symbolizes the worst of the labor movement," she said. "The Teamsters used to be notorious; SEIU makes them look like choirboys."

Stern says the SEIU has strong enough ties in Congress to assure that criticism from within the movement will not stand in the way of major labor legislation. "This is 535 people who we have real relationships with," he said, "and none of them have called and said SEIU is not a democratic union."