Back to Home Page

Labor Day Hypocrisy: Unions block member from picnic for being wrong party

by In the news Tuesday, August 31. 2010

Politics.serendipityThumb Labor Day Hypocrisy: Unions block member from picnic for being wrong partySEIU to Member & Candidate; Stay Home!
Senate Candidate Mike Forest Press Release

SEIU is having a picnic on Sept. 6th and did not invite as a Candidate a 20+ year SEIU Member in good standing – Mike Forest. Mr. Forest is a candidate for state senate in dist. #11. Mr. Forest is an Employee of the State of Oregon in the Financial Services Division at Oregon Department of Agriculture. Mr. Forest has not been endorsed and has not received a campaign contribution from his own Union. Mr. Forest does not recall ever being asked to receive either from his Union.However Peter Courtney, who is not a member of SEIU, is invited as a Candidate.This further magnifies the question, is SEIU a Labor Union or a Political Union?

All members who are officially a Candidate for Public Office should never be excluded from their free speech rights. A Labor Union should always invite and support any fellow Brother or Sister to their events.

Will Mr. Forest make an appearance at the SEIU picnic anyhow?

Other Candidates invited include;

Candidate for Marion Co. Commissioner – Jason Frielinger
Candidate for Governor – John Kitzhaber
Senator Ron Wyden
Congressman Kurt Schrader
And more

tt twitter big4 Labor Day Hypocrisy: Unions block member from picnic for being wrong party tt digg big4 Labor Day Hypocrisy: Unions block member from picnic for being wrong party tt facebook big4 Labor Day Hypocrisy: Unions block member from picnic for being wrong party tt reddit big4 Labor Day Hypocrisy: Unions block member from picnic for being wrong party

Posted by at 08:05 | Posted in Measure 37 | 16 Comments |Email This Post Email This Post |Print This Post Print This Post
Back to Home Page
  • The Bill Post Radio Show

    This is not surprising but, it is upsetting, the hypocrisy of the left. Mike Forest is a hard working member of the SEIU just like any other State employee and this is how he is treated???
    Peter Courtney keeps winning this Senate seat for one reason only and this is the glaring example of how that works.
    Shout out to all SEIU in the Salem area: are you going to let this happen? Are you that callous and that pompous?
    There are some of us that will do all that we can do to break this union and start all over.
    Enjoy your time SEIU because your time may be up.

  • anonymous

    The SEIU is corrupt and anyone who would continue to pay dues into it, ie: Mike Forest deserves a slap in the face. Bust up SEIU or shut the hell up. Sick and tired of unions and the sheep who allow them!

    • Mary’s Opinion

      It is my understanding that if the government job one has is represented by a union, paying union dues is not really a choice. One might opt out of union membership but still have union dues automatically withheld from ones paycheck. I guess the theory behind that is, whether one is a union member or not, one would still benefit from and be covered by the contract that was negotiated. The problem is that ones forced payment of dues may not go to support the candidate of the individuals choice and in fact may even support candidates or policies the individual is strongly against.

      If I have this wrong, please correct me.

      • Anonymous

        You are correct. The only addition I would make is that, if you refuse to be a union member (and you have to declare a religious exemption, I believe), then your dues are still collected but are diverted to a charity – which one I believe is unspecified, so for all anyone knows, you are still funneling money to some left wing cause. I am also a forced contributor. I chose not to go the charity route (I have no objection to claiming my religion forbids union membership) for two reasons: 1) I have no control over the charity and for all I know it is worse than SEIU, and 2) as long as I am paying against my will, I at least want to have a vote in the union to show for it.

        • Mary’s Opinion

          Anonymous,
          Thank you for explaining more about government union membership requirements. I believe the folks who choose to post on Oregon Catalyst in the way you did in this response accomplish so much more than when we rant and rave. Although I’ve been guilty of that too. I was once forced into union membership when I worked for the state. I can’t stand government employment so I wasn’t there long.

  • Rupert in Springfield

    The SEIU is a labor union. Their sole mission, just as AFSCME or teachers unions is to get greater compensation for their membership. That’s it.

    Peter Courtney has been very good about acceding to union demands and indeed union compensation has flourished during Mr. Courtneys tenure. Why should they not invite him?

    It seems to me that to be complaining about this is to fall for the union propaganda often heard during election campaigns. For example during the recent measure 66/67 campaigns we saw endless ads showing how the teachers unions are about caring for our kids. We all knew then that 66/67 was not about additional care for our kids, it was about additional compensation for union members.

    Have people forgotten this? Do people now think unions like SEIU are there as free speech organizations?

    What nonsense. Unions are about member compensation, not free speech rights. They should pick who they will to speak at their events. Obviously they feel they have made out pretty well with Peter Courtney in power. Clearly they have an interest in supporting him. This is news?

    The bottom line is there is no free speech entitlement to speak at a union function. To insist that there is such a right is frankly detrimental as it blurs the objective fact of the matter just as the previously mentioned union ads attempt to do.

    • The Bill Post Radio Show

      “The bottom line is there is no free speech entitlement to speak at a union function. To insist that there is such a right is frankly detrimental as it blurs the objective fact of the matter just as the previously mentioned union ads attempt to do.”

      Rupert: you are missing the point. It’s not that he was not invited to SPEAK, he was not invited AT ALL as a member of the very union having this picnic.

      To Anonymous#2: If you work for the State, you don’t have a choice. That was a really dumb statement you just wrote. I hate that union, but if I were a State employee, I guess I’d not want to lose my job.

      • anonymous#2

        Hey Post, re: your slander “That was a really dumb statement you just wrote.” You’re just as big a Pansie as those who whine about THEIR Union but have no guts to do anything about it. All I’m saying is if you fear for your job shut the hell up and quit whining about not being invited. The SEIU calls the shots through intimidation, thus the sheep(must) follow!

        • The Bill Post Radio Show

          “Pansie”? That’s pretty funny coming from the anonymous poster! LOL!!
          So, I guess the SEIU member, who is not allowed to speak about his campaign because it differs from the leadership of the union is a “whiner” and should just quit? Wow, your pretty dang compassionate. You’re also quite ignorant. The SEIU is currently breaking campaign law by distributing materials to it’s members on Democrats and not including Republican materials. Look it up in the SOS elections division website. Please ANONYMOUS, tell us, enlighten us, why is it ok to have NON SEIU members, who just happen to be running for political office, speak at this lunch, but not allow the MEMBER speak? I really want to hear this one…..and your name would be good.

          • anonymous

            If “The SEIU is currently breaking campaign law by distributing materials to it’s members…” sue ‘em or quit whining.

            My name-my name, Jose Jimenez. Happy now?

          • Pansie

            Ya that’s what I thought.

      • Mary’s Opinion

        The Bill Post Radio Show person who is writing comments here has caused the show to lose a listener. As a reader responding to Anonymous #2 I prefer not to be called dumb. You have every right to state your opinion and disagree with me if you choose, but not to insult me.

  • Bob Clark

    Public employee unions die if it weren’t for the political protection they have bought. Kitzhaber, Wyden, and Schrader are the most union sympathetic politicians these unions can buy. Wyden and Merkley went so far as to author the Disclosure bill which is designed to hammer corporate campaign funding while continuing to allow unions to give political contributions with ease. Both these politicians knoe their bill is unconstitutional but like their union buddies they will go to great lengths to retain their power no matter if the public in general suffers.

  • Rick Hickey

    Yes he has be in this Union to work there and after 22+ years it would be dumb to leave now.

    My point was that he should be allowed as a Candidate to also speak and hand out literature at this event and that ain’t happening.

  • Laura Bell

    I would consider this a form of discrimination. SEIU is literally run State Government and they get away with whatever crap they want to. Who is going to stop them? Our limp, cowardly Legislatures? Our illustrious Governor? Puh-Lease. Kulongougme was a Union lawyer for years. The problem in this State is lots and lots of people complain, but who do you go to and really make it stick? I don’t know of anyone that I could trust. This State is so corrupt it makes Chicago look like a virgin.

  • Pingback: northcapitolstreet.com

  • Pingback: northcapitolstreet.com

  • Pingback: northcapitolstreet.com

  • Pingback: www.bwtpr.info

  • Pingback: northcapitolstreet.com

  • Pingback: northcapitolstreet.com

  • Pingback: northcapitolstreet.com

  • Pingback: northcapitolstreet.com

  • Pingback: northcapitolstreet.com

  • Pingback: northcapitolstreet.com

  • vimaxmpeg

    Thanks big!

  • Pingback: northcapitolstreet.com

  • Pingback: www.aghfd.info

  • Pingback: www.frontiervilletactics.com

  • Pingback: www.aghfd.info

Stay Tuned...

Stay up to date with the latest political news and commentary from Oregon Catalyst through daily email updates:

Prefer another subscription option? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, become a fan on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

Twitter Facebook

No Thanks (close this box)