WorkWeek On LA SEIU 399 Organzing Struggles, Democracy & Business Unionism

Los Angeles SEIU 399 was the powerful union that organized janitors by mass action. The Justice for Janitors was based on the victory of this struggle in 1990. This program interviews members and leaders of this struggle and what happened after their victory. The workers were fighting to enforce the contract against a president who would not back the membership.

The rank and file Multi-Racial Alliance won the election for the local yet there actions were thwarted. They had a sit in at the union office prior to the AFL-CIO convention and John Sweeney who was president of the SEIU sent in his representative Bill Fletcher who according to SEIU 399 members tried to bribe the workers to call off the sit-in in return of jobs. After ending the sit-in, the International took over the local in a trusteeship, sold their building and merged the local into Local 1877. Also according to the workers they collaborated with the bosses too purge the real organizers of the union from their jobs and the union.

This interview was done in 3/20/21.

Additional media:
Los Angeles Janitors and the Infamous Battle of Century City - Fighting for Justice 1990
Https://Www.youtube.com/Watch?V=F_kTc1c6F8g&T=4s
LA SEIU 399 Janitors Cleaning Workers To Go On Strike: October 19, 1990
https://memorywork.irle.ucla.edu/archives/546
Justice for Janitors: A Comprehensive National Campaign
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/j.0066-4812.2006.00600.x
LA SEIU 399 Janitors Cleaning Workers To Go On Strike: October 19, 1990
https://memorywork.irle.ucla.edu/archives/546
Justice for Janitors: A Comprehensive National Campaign
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/j.0066-4812.2006.00600.x

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WorkWeek
https://soundcloud.com/workweek-radio
Labor Video Project
#laborradionetwork #LaborRadioPod #1u #UnionStrong