Letter from FOUR Shop Stewards about Unite Here's Pink Sheeting

In today’s New York Times, Steven Greenhouse exposes a deeply disturbing and, frankly, disgusting practice unique to Unite Here called “pink sheeting.” Pink sheeting is an invasive and inappropriate organizing technique in which staff and workers are pressured to reveal deeply personal, traumatic parts of their history. This practice is, according to former Unite Here staff, “designed to keep those involved in the union’s work from straying from the directives of the union leadership.”

Greenhouse writes that more than a dozen organizers:

“said in interviews that they had often been pressured to detail such personal anguish — sometimes under the threat of dismissal from their union positions — and that their supervisors later used the information to press them to comply with their orders.”

The Federation of Union Representatives (FOUR), the union representing staff of Workers United and UNITE HERE, has long fought against the practice of pink sheeting. Unfortunately, Greenhouse’s article and a recent open letter by former Unite Here staff show that it continues.

Although we are pleased the abuses suffered by our membership are finally getting the attention it deserves, we continue to lament the fact the abuses were suffered at all. FOUR feels strongly that, no worker or staff member should be required to divulge private personal information as a requirement for employment or as a part of an organizing drive. We have stood, and will continue to stand, against the abuses of power perpetrated on union staff and the members of the unions we work for.

When others remained silent, FOUR stood up against this psychologically devastating practice not only because is a needless injury to those who endured it but because it is antithetical to the core values of our labor movement. We again call for pink sheeting to end.

Brian Callaci, FOUR shop steward

Nell Geiser, FOUR shop steward

Matt Painter, FOUR shop steward

Laura Moran, FOUR shop steward

Garrett O'Connor, FOUR shop steward