Statement by UHW President Sal Rosselli on SEIU Threat to Sue U...( OAKLAND Calif. April 29 -- The f...),Health

OAKLAND, Calif., April 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following release was issued today by SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West:

In recent months United Healthcare Workers-West (UHW) and its allies inside SEIU have launched a campaign, in the face of constant threats and retaliation, to reform our International Union.

The most recent act of retaliation is their announcement today of plans to sue UHW leaders. UHW's elected executive board members created the education fund in question in full compliance with the law, and appropriately released all of the details of its actions. Last week, the fund's board decided to dissolve the fund and return its resources to UHW. UHW notified SEIU yesterday of this action.

Even so, SEIU scheduled a press conference, talked to reporters and distributed copies of the suit publicly, all before notifying UHW. The dissolution of the fund, the remedy sought by SEIU's lawsuit, is already underway, making it frivolous.

The lawsuit and the PR circus surrounding it are a hoax being perpetrated on the press and, most shamefully, upon SEIU members, in order to smear us and shut down the Stern team's political opposition. That, if anything, is an inappropriate use of members' dues.

SEIU's use of selective enforcement is astounding. Rather than going after officers and staff of UHW on trumped-up charges, SEIU should be launching an internal investigation of the Labor Department's recent charges resulting from Vice President Dave Regan's financial improprieties and interference in internal union elections in Nevada. SEIU also should investigate charges against Vice President Tom DeBruin and Assistant to the President Josie Mooney for interference and possible labor law violations in delegate elections in California.

Their purpose is to again stifle our dissent, and we won't be silenced.

The 150,000-member SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West is the largest and fastest-growin
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