An apologetic SEIU 721 was hauled into court today by the LACAA and boy has the tone changed now.
After sabotaging her own union Julie Butcher, while those responsible for running the union after her demotion were away with some help from David Sanders of the City section decided to hold a second election for the attorneys who are adamantly opposed to a new deal.
Julie Butcher of SEIU 721
This morning before a judge could even tear them apart they quiveringly handed over every single sham ballot members returned before the scheduled vote count could be held.
After empowering the CAO, an the endless cackle of the two dissenters now attorneys for the city will face a New Package.
This deal which has little to no support from the executive LACAA Board or the Membership at large reportedly includes 13 furlough days and the 4% deduction so it should quickly face the same fate.
While those in charge of negotiations held a strong position, it was eroded by the small minority of the attorneys who don’t understand the process and are good friends with Julie Butcher the hidden agendas are clear and these people should be made to answer for working against the will of the members.
Elected board members are sacrificing greatly to bring a good deal to the members, now that has directly been sabotaged by SEIU 721 & Julie Butcher along with those working with her for personal gains.
End of the Road
If you mess with the bull, you get the horns and 721 got smashed today, they knew they screwed up and now could be liable for more then attorneys fees.
Julie Butcher Willfully and Maliciously ignored the law and the duly elected board of the LACAA. Either she is fired or the attorneys are leaving and 721 won’t be able to stop them.
David sanders should clearly take note, things are changing.
Get with the members, or get to packing. As we begin a new chapter in this era of concessions the race to the bottom has been marked by scandal and ignorance as well as the desire to giveback everything we have worked for our entire careers.
When those who work for us be it paid union staff, or elected members of our peers we must demand in these leaders they at a minimum never consider sacrificing the gains we have made. Progress keeps us moving forward and on July 13th that message will hit our bottom line as the cuts will be felt in our pocket book and the City and it’s residents continue to enjoy the wasteful ways of the council.
Please remember now is the time to begin cleaning house and removing anyone who took the position that this was a good deal, or we had to sacrifice, after all they have no clue LAPD get’s raises, DWP get’s raises we get screwed. From now on if you make to much money write the city a check and giveback your salary but not that of the rest of your co-workers. Become involved in the process and change your union or your position will never change.
Sorry, I just can’t leave this unchallenged. This is absolutely false information. The Re-vote ballots were canceled based on an agreement between both sides to send the new deal reached out to membership. The LACAA President was specifically told on Friday, June 24, that once the LACAA Board signed off on the deal and agreed to send it to the membership for a vote, the “re-vote” ballots would be frozen. Once the Board majority agreed to send this deal to the membership on Monday, June 27, they were told that the ballots would be given to them the following day, which they were. The ballots being uncounted had absolutely nothing to do with the TRO that was filed. LACAA withdrew the TRO Application and it was never heard on the merits. I don’t know where you got this information, but it is completely inaccurate. And as a side note, I’ve met Julie Butcher and she’s a great person. These personal attacks on her are mean-spirited and uncalled for.
Well, I couldn’t leave this one alone either kik217.
I know Julie Butcher as well. I was in SEIU 721 for 5 miserable years. And I can tell you after being in that union vs. the union that I’m in now (IBEW Local 18) that Julie Butcher was/is a terrible manager & has no clue of how to fight for peoples negotiated & legally binding contracts.
Regardless of if you think the attacks on her are mean spirited, the facts are the facts. Ms. Butcher & her conservative Republican partner Bob Schoonover have RUINED SEIU 721. They have cowardly ran away from defending our 2007 contracts every step of the way. The FACTS are that SEIU had millions of OUR DUES MONEY to take HUHW workers of Kaiser to court to fight them for SEIU’s personal interests…..but….when SEIU members UNANIMOUSLY DEMANDED SEIU Local 721 run TV ads, put up billboards & air radio spots to tell Los Angeles residents THE TRUTH about the city councils & mayors wasteful ways.
This recent economic downturn & poor management of the cities was not the workers fault. The city council & the mayor are big boys and girls. Their only problem is that they couldn’t run a 7-11 on a graveyard shift or balance their own checkbooks if they had to, which is why were here today.
Julie Butchers and Bob Schoonovers job is to PROTECT the contract we agreed to back in 2007. They both have failed miserably & have left a wake of income distruction for the workers represented by SEIU Local 721. Julie has always been nice to me in person & she talks a good game, but the facts are….she has let the members down each step of the way & has NEVER put up a REAL FIGHT against the city council & mayor using the 54 million they collect EVERY YEAR from SEIU Local 721 members. This should have been a legal fight against the City of Los Angeles from day one. If SEIU Local 721 knew what they were doing, they would have used their legal resources and power in numbers & fought the way IBEW Local 18 did to protect their contracts. But you see, that would have taken REAL work on the part of the SEIU Local 721 staff. Not very likely considering their track record.
I say good riddance to Julie Butcher, but leaving to go to SEIU to represent the county isn’t far away enough. She needs to leave Los Angeles or get out of the union business altogether. She IS NOT good at what she does. And like I said, the proof is in the pudding. Our 2007 contract has been treated like toilet paper by the city council & the mayor. And if you remember….the 2007 5 year contract that bragged about a 26% increase over 5 years was SUPPOSED to be a PAYBACK to L.A. City workers for the TERRIBLE contract we had before which gave us 0% the 1st year, 1% the 2nd & 2% the 3rd. Or don’t you remember that?
If SEIU did what we pay them to do, which is HELP US defend our contract, we would have had our 26% pay increases by 2012 & we would have been negotiating a new contract for 2012.
Irregardless if you think Julie Butcher is a nice person, she is a terrible union boss. She needs to take some lessons from IBEW’s Brian D’Arcy starting with a slogan that IBEW used to PROTECT THEIR CONTRACTS…..”A DEAL IS A DEAL” Does that compute with you? I know it doesn’t with Julie, Bob or SEIU Local 721 because they’ve cowarded every step of the way when the members needed some real representation.
Now, who is being less than honest, kik217?
The rogue members who sent out the illegal ballots REFUSED to cancel the election and turn over the ballots until they were dragged to Court to hear the TRO. Only when the Judge took the bench was the “deal” to cancel the election and turn over the ballots to LACAA’s president reached. Admin doesn’t lie, and neither do transcripts.
Regarding Julie Butcher, she no longer represents bargaining units in the City of L.A. She hasn’t represented the LACAA for MONTHS! What was she doing back in L.A. helping these rogue LACAA members? She might be “nice” over drinks at a bar, but that’s not where the criticism on LACityWorkers.com is coming from.
So kiki … How does it feel to Tony V’s errand girl? Do ya think the City Council is going to give you a high-5 for stabbing your co-workers in the back? The rogue board members who acted illegally haven’t done any of us a favor. The obnoxious uber-lobbying “yes” crowd hasn’t done any of us a favor. Julie Butcher hasn’t done any of us a favor. Unless you’re so close to retirement, agreeing to pay 4% (atop of the 1% we just started paying) is idiotic because you’re going to pay that 4% as long as you’re employed by the city. You want to trade 20 years of 4% for a few furlough days in the upcoming year? Really? Short term gain. Long term loss. Do you really think that’s a good deal? Really? LACAA’s problem is SEIU. LACAA’s problem is fools who think the CAO and SEIU are looking out for our collective best interests. LACAA’s problem is that some of you won’t take “no” for an answer. Well … “NO” … “No means no” … and it’s going to stay “no.” Julie Butcher is nice? Seriously? Who cares?