AUGUST 26, 2008 – The LA Times reports that the SEIU scandal has spread beyond Los Angeles and now involves a local in Michigan. Rickman Jackson, the President of the Michigan local has ties to Tyrone Freeman, who has been exposed by the Times in their series of SEIU corruption articles.

The Times reviews the multiple problems for SEIU in Southern California including union using their members’ dues for payments to the officers’ family members, extravagant spending of their members’ dues on luxuries, establishing a questionable housing corporation that has lost its right to do business in California, and fixing of SEIU elections. Both Freeman and Jackson are appointees of Andy Stern, SEIU International President.

What the Times does not say is that the financial and election-fixing charges at the LA local surfaced many months ago within SEIU, but only became worthy of attention by SEIU International after the Times began its ongoing investigation into union corruption. It appears that Stern’s friends are now becoming the scapegoats in an effort to placate SEIU members. The Times also has yet to mention the ongoing saga of corruption charges leveled against SEIU. You can check this out at Union Corruption Update, linked here. Click on Service Employees (SEIU).

In additional news, the Times reports that the SEIU International is initiating trusteeship against the SEIU Oakland-based local headed by Sal Rosselli, one of the most out-spoken critics of SEIU policies. This action appears to have but one purpose – the silencing of Mr. Rosselli and his criticism of the forced mega-local merger and subsequent reassignment of SEIU members to another local.

The entire Times article is linked click here.