California org supports SEIU-UHW West platform for change

Los Angeles, California (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - A number of community organizations and key Asian Pacific Islander leaders in California have unanimously thrown their unequivocal support for SEIU United Healthcare Workers - West (UHWWest) and its Platform for Change.

The UHW-West Executive Board, representing 150,000 health care workers in California and led by its president Sal Rosselli, recently ratified its Platform for Change to express its avowed principles for building a successful international union.

Among the organizations expressing their support for UHW-Wests position are the following: The Bangladesh Association of California, composed of 42 organizations; the Bangladesh Unity Federation of Los Angeles led by Majib Siddiquee, Esq. who is also the chair of Publicity Committee; the Society of Guerillas and Scouts Inc. (SGSI); the largest Filipino World War II Veterans organization in California led by Commander Jack Vergara; Peping Baclig, Chairman of the West Region of the 4,000 strong American Coaltion of Filipino Veterans (ACFV);

Commander Franco Arcebal, Vice President of ACFV; Eugene Mondok, Commander of the Unified Filipino American Veterans (UFAV); Echo Park Community Coalitions (EPCC); Coalition of Filipino American Organizations of California led by Arturo P. Garcia; Filipino Workers Center of Southern California Executive Director Aquilina Soriano-Verzosa; Association of Filipino Workers (AFW) President Salvador Lledo; the Coalition of Lions Club; and the Ecumenical Fellowship for Justice and Peace (EEJP) led by Ago Martinez. These organizations staunchly support UHW-West leaders Sal Rosselli and UHW Vice President Jay Valencias principled stand for the union and its members.

Rosselli lamented the fact that, "some SEIU leaders have gone in different directions - jeopardizing the original unions shared vision."

Rosselli added, "Our national union is moving in a different direction that differs with our shared vision and jeopardizing our ability to organize workers and bargain better conditions for our members and the patients, residents and consumers we care for."

Basic and Fundamental Differences Rosselli has accused Andy Stern, SEIU President, of advocating for a "growth at all cost" mentality that has shortchanged union members, according to a New York Times article by Steven Greenhouse appearing on February 29th.

"Andy is leading an effort for more centralization of power," Rosselli said.

"We believe its fundamentally important to empower the workers. The more power workers have, the stronger the union is."

Platform for Change Acting decisively, UHW-Wests Executive Board, with the strong voice of Administrative Vice President Jay Valencia, reaffirmed the core principles that UHW-West promotes in their Platform for Change:
- Union Democracy: One Member, One Vote
-- Organizing the Unorganized in our Core Industries with Active Participation of Worksite Leaders
-- Improving the Lives of Healthcare and those we Care for
-- Power for Workers in our Society UHW-West is hopeful they can build a successful 21st century International Union with the power to win big.

The community organizations supporting UHW-West are equally optimistic and enthusiastic to support UHW-Wests Platform for Change. They believe that the members of UHW-West will be able to build a genuine workers movement.

Coalition of Filipino American Organizations of California 1740 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90026 Contact Person: Arturo P. Garcia Tel: (213)241-0906 Fax: (213)241-0944
Web site: http://www.seiu-uhw.org

SOURCE: SEIU UNITED HEALTHCARE WORKERS - WEST
CONTACT: Arturo P. Garcia of the Coalition of Filipino
American Organizations of California,
+1-213-241-0906, fax: +1-213-241-0944

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