OCTOBER 9, 2008 - EAA first congratulates the majority of its members who are resisting the high-pressure tactics of SEIU, before examining the how and why. You are an inspiration to all union members everywhere who are victims of similar attacks by SEIU. In a tribute to your intelligence and analytic skills, and despite 55 or more people working full-time to spread lies and innuendo about EAA while making false and untrue promises about SEIU, SEIU has failed to gain support from EAA members.

The why of the attack is really quite simple. SEIU wants your dues money! SEIU is a huge conglomerate that has been spending its members' union dues on various activities that either do not or very weakly relate to representation of their members. The thought of 1.25% (according to SEIU) or 1.5% (according to actual SEIU 721 members) of the $82,000 average salary of 7,500 City employees now represented by EAA has them salivating at the prospect of an additional $7.7 to $9 million every year! EAA, on the other hand, works within its member-mandated budget with annual income of slightly more than $3 million from its 0.5% dues rate.

Where will all the extra money go if these 7,500 City employees are represented by SEIU? Not to your representation! How could it when SEIU 721 is part of the economical but ineffective mega-call center to deal with their members' issues in the workplace? By contrast, EAA serves its members with knowledgeable labor representatives who visit every member with an issue in the workplace to assist the member in resolution of the problem. These EAA representatives have developed working relationship with the HR personnel in the various departments enabling them to be more effective when representing members.

Just read the various publications and websites referenced on the EAA website (www.eaaunion.net) to find the following about SEIU spending practices:

• SEIU is spending $90 million on the November elections. This implies that the leaders believe their members do not have their own opinions but all want their money spent for the same politicians. How insulting to their members' intelligence.
• SEIU locals in California have wasted dues money on expensive hotels, cigar clubs, and keeping live-in boyfriends on the union payroll.
• Local 721 and many other locals have wasted dues money by hiring relatives of their appointed officers. This has led to the resignation/termination of 3 heads of locals and the firing of other officials and employees of SEIU. Of course, none of the actions to stop the abuses happened until the newspapers ran their exposes of SEIU.
• The corruption prevalent at SEIU is now being investigated by the FBI, US Department of Labor, and the US Congress.
• Local 721 pays outlandish salaries to its appointed executive staff. They are paid more than anyone at EAA and far more than their own members. EAA staff, on the other hand, earns salaries comparable to those they represent.

In addition, SEIU insulted the intelligence of the United State Supreme Court, was raided by the FBI, obtained personal information illegally, stifles all dissent within their union, appoints the leaders of the mega-locals, makes it impossible for rank-and-file SEIU members to run for office, makes secret back-room deals favorable to management, allows continuous contracting out of members work, thumbs their collective nose at other unions, and generally does not behave like a true labor union.

The how of their takeover bid is more convoluted, but has been exposed through careful investigation of primary sources. SEIU's effort started in Washington, D. C in their international offices prior to February 2008. As part of their ongoing effort to destroy other unions instead of organizing the unorganized workers of America, they noted the open period for petition filing in Los Angeles. Knowing that this not only was potentially a great source of revenue but also gave SEIU a way to attack directly one of their perceived arch-enemies (the IUPA) and indirectly the AFL-CIO, the lure was irresistible. In February of 2008 they dispatched organizers who started meeting with a small group of EAA dissidents. They had prepared scripts that they call "raps" that would take advantage of these dissident's greed, lust for power, hatred, and egos. Like snakes in the grass, SEIU quietly wined and dined their "shills" using techniques you can read about in Saul Alinsky's book "Rules for Radicals". In this book, Alinsky talks about how one must tell lies and fabricate issues in order to demonize individuals or groups you wish to take down. This is exactly the campaign SEIU is engaged in against EAA. They sent 30 organizers to Los Angeles to join with local 721 leaders and the disgruntled EAA "shills". All of these people have been working full-time at the decertification effort since mid-July. City management, a group that prefers a compliant union (Local 721) to one that raises real issues and perseveres in representing its members' interest (EAA) is enabling SEIU by preferentially allowing SEIU access to EAA members while denying the same access to EAA.

EAA, on the other hand, has fought the SEIU attack with its regular staff. This staff continues to have representation of members as its first priority, continues to process grievances and unfair charges, and fights contracting out of EAA members' work. This same staff works overtime to get the truth out to EAA members and appreciates the support they receive from most of them. EAA continually updates its website and holds member meetings to reveal the truth about SEIU and EAA.

Yet, as noted earlier, SEIU's effort has had limited success. In addition, a large number of those who signed cards have very probably never bothered to join EAA or participate in any meaningful way in their own home-grown local union, but are merely fair-share agency-fee payers who reap the benefits of union membership without exerting any effort.

Who then, are the shills?

• People who are angry because they cannot unilaterally dictate the operations of EAA.
• People who are unable to win election to offices that might allow them to have some input.
• People who have not even bothered to run for office, but just want to be the "bosses" by executive fiat.
• People who were removed from office due to corruption and malfeasance.
• People who fall into one of the preceding categories and do not even work for the City.
• People who crossed your picket lines.
• People who leaked confidential information to management, thus undermining EAA.

Look at who they are and talk to people who have been in EAA long enough to remember the shills and their misdeeds. Look seriously at the corrupt SEIU leaders and organizers that have misled their hard-working members nationwide. Contrast the preceding with your EAA leadership and the results of their policies:

• No current EAA leaders or staff ever had charges brought against them for any reason.
• EAA financial audits are perfect every year.
• EAA has a remarkable success rate in representing its members before the ERB and Civil Service Commission.
• EAA effectively fights against contracting out and creates new jobs for members.
• EAA holds open democratic elections with 1/3 of its governing board up for election every year.
• EAA is not and has not been under investigation by any agency.

• Take advantage of the educational resources on the EAA website and become knowledgeable about EAA and unions in general.
• Volunteer to serve your fellow EAA members as a Union Steward or on a Unit Council.
• Become an EAA member if you are a fair-share payer. It does not cost a penny more, but gives you the opportunity to help choose your leaders and the direction of your union.
• Reject the organizers from SEIU and tell them to "get lost"!
• Vote in the upcoming EAA elections. Do not be complacent.
• Visit the EAA website regularly to obtain the latest information about your union.