Posted by Brett Goodall on July 07, 19100 at 18:22:04:
I just can't take it anymore. When I read the Globe and Mail article
written by Sharleen Stewart entitled "Will the real Buzz Hargrove stand
up," I was so upset I just had to respond. I'd like to take a moment of
your time to tell you the third side, (our side) of the CAW-SEIU war story.
My name is Brett Goodall (deposed President of SEIU Local 528, Racetrack
Workers). The CAW did not raid our Local. We approached them and asked
them to help us escape the dictatorial, and non-supportive Service
Employees International Union. In 1996 our Local was locked out for 104
days by the Mike Harris backed Ontario Jockey Club, and in 1997 we were
forced into the first strike in the 37 year history of our Local, by the
tyrannical owner of Flamboro Downs Racetrack, in Dundas Ontario. Through
both of these bitter encounters SEIU support was nonexistent. There were
20,000 SEIU members in the immediate area of both disputes, yet not one
member joined our picket lines.
Yet when our Local attempted to disaffiliate from SEIU in February of this
year(along with 7 other locals in Ontario), we finally got to see the full
power of SEIU, unfortunately it was aimed at us - not for us. I, along
with the other 7 Presidents were called everything but rapists and child
molesters. We were accused of stealing our members' money, property, and
purposely destroying important records - hogwash. What this group of 8
was really trying to do was follow our members' wishes, and join a
powerful and respected Canadian Union . . . that union being the CAW.
As a group we told the CAW that we were leaving SEIU come hell or high
water, whether they supported us or whether we had to go it alone. Thank
goodness they agreed to help us in our journey towards liberation from the
American-based international union. What we didn't realize was how far
SEIU would go to make sure that the dues kept rolling in from these 8
freedom seeking locals. You may have heard that throughout all this the
Canadian Labour Congress has tried to mediate a satisfactory resolution to
this dispute. Once again hogwash. The way I see it, the CLC has been
trying to get Buzz to abandon our plight and leave us hung out to dry. I
feel that the last thing that is on the minds of those in charge of the
CLC is the democratic wishes of our members. Why else wouldn't they force
SEIU to conduct a vote of the 8 locals involved, so that they could clear
up the matter of which union they want to belong to?
No, being quiet after reading Sharleen Stewart's article was no longer an
option for me. Shame on SEIU, shame on the CLC, and thank goodness for
Buzz Hargrove and the CAW.
In Solidarity,
Brett Goodall