When Alec MacGillis of the Washington Post noted last Wednesday that this is "an awkward moment for the SEIU," he alerted readers to a reality those following the labor movement have recognized for some time.

Andy Stern, President of SEIU, viewed as "a possible savior of labor" per MacGillis, has led SEIU into a pattern of activity that calls into question whether SEIU's leaders really believe in the principles they claim to stand for.

The simplest way to understand the gap between SEIU's words and its actions is to understand that, for Andy Stern, the consolidation of power has consistently trumped principle. While supporting Stern and SEIU once seemed like 'one stop shopping' for progressives looking to support workers, that support increasingly comes at the price of turning a blind eye to a troubling pattern of hypocrisy.

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From today's Beyond Chron.

When asking Nevada culinary workers on Tuesday to ignore their union's endorsement of Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton called his wife the insurgent in the race - and Obama the "establishment" candidate.  It was an odd statement, for nobody can seriously dispute that Hillary Clinton is the Democratic Party's establishment choice.  And while UNITE-HERE, the Culinary Workers and Nevada SEIU have rallied behind Obama, hotel and casino executives are largely supporting Clinton.

What the ex-President meant to say was that culinary workers should make up their own mind -- regardless of what their union recommends.  But the Nevada teachers' union (which supports Clinton) has ignored pleas from their own rank-and-file members to drop a lawsuit that, if successful, would prevent casino workers from voting in Saturday's caucus.  The party decided months ago to have "at-large" precincts inside Las Vegas casinos, but now some Clinton partisans - including Bubba - want them shut down because attendees are likely to support Obama.

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Obama now has two national unions backing him: the plumbers and UNITE-HERE.

"The Executive Committee of UNITE HERE has voted to endorse Senator Barack Obama for President. On behalf of nearly one million members and retirees, the union announced that it will be supporting the campaign in primaries and caucuses throughout the nation."

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Union endorsements matter, and nowhere is this more true than in Nevada where the 2004 caucuses saw only 9,000 voters participate, a new record.  In 2008, the role of the Culinary Worker's Local 226 more than 60,000 members will become even more important as a changes in the caucus sructure make it much easier for Strip workers to participate. 

In 2004, the party had only 17 caucus sites, one per county.... Notably, the party will hold eight to 10 at-large precinct meetings for as many as 4,000 shift workers on the Strip who otherwise could not take off time from work to participate in the caucus. Those meetings, which underscore the importance of Culinary Union members in the Democratic caucus effort, could take place in hotel ballrooms, officials said.

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Sandra Svoboda wrote a very interesting article in today's Detroit MetroTimesabout DaveBonior, his relationship with John Edwards, and the roll unions may play in the 2007-2008 Democratic primaries: http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/stor y.asp?id=10103

Here are some excerpts, summaries and my commentary:

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