Service Employees International Unions

More than 1,400 members of Los Angeles County's largest employee union voted Thursday evening to authorize a strike if their demands for a significant raise are not met by the time their various contracts expire Sept. 30. The workers, members of the Service Employees International Union, Local 660, also spent the evening plotting strategies for job actions leading up to such a walkout and signing up for civil disobedience protest workshops.

The former president of California's biggest union local pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges that he enriched himself by stealing from the low-income workers he represented. Tyrone Freeman, who headed Local 6434 of the Service Employees International Union, entered his plea to a 15-count indictment returned in July. A trial has been set for Nov. 20 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Freeman, 42, is free on $50,000 bail. The indictment includes allegations that he embezzled union funds, billed the organization for costs of his Hawaiian wedding, violated tax laws and gave false information to a mortgage lender.

More than a year after their jobs were turned over to a private contractor, USC janitors have voted to join the Service Employees International Union. Casting secret ballots in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board, custodial workers at USC's main campus voted 107 to 79 Friday to make SEIU's Local 1877 their official bargaining representative. At the USC / Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, a smaller unit of workers also approved joining the unit by a vote of 16 to 11.

In the biggest private-sector labor election since 1941, the giant Service Employees International Union has decisively defeated an insurgent group to continue representing about 43,000 Kaiser healthcare workers in California. The SEIU received 18,290 votes to 11,364 for the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which was launched last year by several former leaders of the larger organization. The mail ballots went out in mid-September and the count was completed late Thursday.

The Service Employees International Union, Local 102 became the second-largest county workers' union Monday when it merged with the 748-member San Diego County Probation Officers Assn. As a result of the merger, Local 102 represents more than 2,000 county employees, second only to the troubled County Employees Assn., which has about 6,500 members.

The leaders of an Oakland union were removed from office Tuesday by their Washington bosses, the culmination of months of fighting over who will represent tens of thousands of home health aides. The Service Employees International Union served the officers of the 150,000-member United Healthcare Workers West with a trusteeship notice Tuesday afternoon. It appointed its executive vice presidents, Eliseo Medina and Dave Regan, as trustees.

For years, the powerful Service Employees International Union has played a lead role in the campaign for a landmark federal law that would allow workers to join a labor organization simply by signing petitions. Now, as part of a high-stakes battle in California, the union is urging federal officials to throw out petitions signed by tens of thousands of its own members who have asked to be represented by a rival upstart group. The David-vs.

The state council of the Service Employees International Union, the largest labor union in California, has endorsed Proposition 19, the initiative on the November ballot that seeks to legalize marijuana. The endorsement, announced Tuesday, could boost the campaign, which has not been able to raise enough money for television advertisements and is relying on grass-roots outreach. The SEIU, which says it has more than 700,000 members in California, is a significant political force in state politics, although it is not clear how much money or muscle it will put toward passage of the measure.

The former president of California's biggest union local pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges that he enriched himself by stealing from the low-income workers he represented. Tyrone Freeman, who headed Local 6434 of the Service Employees International Union, entered his plea to a 15-count indictment returned in July. A trial has been set for Nov. 20 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Freeman, 42, is free on $50,000 bail. The indictment includes allegations that he embezzled union funds, billed the organization for costs of his Hawaiian wedding, violated tax laws and gave false information to a mortgage lender.

Labor unions representing California nurses are attacking key parts of a bill that would overhaul the state's system for investigating and disciplining health workers accused of misconduct. The objections by the politically powerful California Nurses Assn., Service Employees International Union and groups for other health professions come days before a state Senate panel is set to vote on moving the bill forward. The Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development must advance the bill Monday or it is dead for this session.

The state council of the Service Employees International Union, the largest labor union in California, has endorsed Proposition 19, the initiative on the November ballot that seeks to legalize marijuana. The endorsement, announced Tuesday, could boost the campaign, which has not been able to raise enough money for television advertisements and is relying on grass-roots outreach. The SEIU, which says it has more than 700,000 members in California, is a significant political force in state politics, although it is not clear how much money or muscle it will put toward passage of the measure.

Labor unions representing California nurses are attacking key parts of a bill that would overhaul the state's system for investigating and disciplining health workers accused of misconduct. The objections by the politically powerful California Nurses Assn., Service Employees International Union and groups for other health professions come days before a state Senate panel is set to vote on moving the bill forward. The Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development must advance the bill Monday or it is dead for this session.

For years, the powerful Service Employees International Union has played a lead role in the campaign for a landmark federal law that would allow workers to join a labor organization simply by signing petitions. Now, as part of a high-stakes battle in California, the union is urging federal officials to throw out petitions signed by tens of thousands of its own members who have asked to be represented by a rival upstart group. The David-vs.

The leaders of an Oakland union were removed from office Tuesday by their Washington bosses, the culmination of months of fighting over who will represent tens of thousands of home health aides. The Service Employees International Union served the officers of the 150,000-member United Healthcare Workers West with a trusteeship notice Tuesday afternoon. It appointed its executive vice presidents, Eliseo Medina and Dave Regan, as trustees.

More than 1,400 members of Los Angeles County's largest employee union voted Thursday evening to authorize a strike if their demands for a significant raise are not met by the time their various contracts expire Sept. 30. The workers, members of the Service Employees International Union, Local 660, also spent the evening plotting strategies for job actions leading up to such a walkout and signing up for civil disobedience protest workshops.

More than a year after their jobs were turned over to a private contractor, USC janitors have voted to join the Service Employees International Union. Casting secret ballots in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board, custodial workers at USC's main campus voted 107 to 79 Friday to make SEIU's Local 1877 their official bargaining representative. At the USC / Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, a smaller unit of workers also approved joining the unit by a vote of 16 to 11.

In the biggest private-sector labor election since 1941, the giant Service Employees International Union has decisively defeated an insurgent group to continue representing about 43,000 Kaiser healthcare workers in California. The SEIU received 18,290 votes to 11,364 for the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which was launched last year by several former leaders of the larger organization. The mail ballots went out in mid-September and the count was completed late Thursday.

The Service Employees International Union, Local 102 became the second-largest county workers' union Monday when it merged with the 748-member San Diego County Probation Officers Assn. As a result of the merger, Local 102 represents more than 2,000 county employees, second only to the troubled County Employees Assn., which has about 6,500 members.