SEIU and AFSCME setting up potential wedge between family members

The Service Employees International Union, is an activist union that has used its close ties to the Democratic Party to do something few labor organizations have been able to accomplish in the young century--add dues-paying members to its rolls.

It's been particularly skillful in unionizing home-health care workers in California. Oh, isn't that state essentially broke?

It is.

On Monday I attended a town hall meeting held by über-liberal Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). While pushing ObamaCare, she decried insurance companies coming between the government and medical professionals.

How does she feel about a union coming between family members?

The Chicago Tribune explains:

Kathy Keith has cared for a son with Down syndrome for 23 years and never dreamed that one day organized labor would consider her a prime candidate for a union card.

So she was skeptical when representatives from two of the nation's largest unions began competing for her attention over the last few weeks with unannounced visits to her home, mailings and phone messages promising to fatten her state stipend.

The Bartlett resident is among about 3,000 people who receive state funding to assist someone at home with a developmental disability. As a result of an executive order signed by Gov. Pat Quinn in June that allows collective bargaining by "individual providers of home-based support services," unions are now trying to sign them up in an unusual effort to boost membership.

The move has left some care providers angry and confused. Many are mothers, fathers or close relatives who are caring for loved ones, advocates say.

Keith summarized the insanity by telling the Trib, "Are you saying I can go on strike and not wipe my son's rear end?"

SEIU and another union, AFSCME, will be sending ballots to home-care providers asking them to join them to represent them. Or they can choose to remain non-union.

AFSCME mostly represents government workers, so like SEIU, they are government, working to expand government, as well as their own power.

Some of that dues money ends up going into political coffers--Dem ones.

Governor Pat Quinn, Rod Blagojevich's successor, is a Democrat.

It's all part of the Democratic circle of life.

Home health care workers: The drive to sign up new members isn't about you. It's about them.

Related posts:

SEIU prez: Union spent $60.7 million to elect Obama

Blagojevich and union "card check"

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