Pat McOsker With Bob Schoonover

Here are some quick facts:

• Julie Butcher the sneaky renegade union op that was moved from Cities to County for SEIU 721 and attempted to hold a vote on a contract in a union she doesn’t even represent and has cost LA City Workers more money out of their paychecks then every recession combined in history supports McOsker.
• Liz Greenwood gave an inappropriate ethically challenged  two minute speech about the candidate before the members voted dropping every board and title she has ever held in carrying the company line backing Pat no other candidate had the same opportunity and it didn’t persuade many.
• LAFD Board Would not even back their own president Pat McOsker, instead choosing to wait.
• LAFD has not seen the drastic cuts and demise of the Department under any other union leader in it’s history as it has under Pat McOsker.

Below is a letter we were made aware of that was sent to Bob Schoonover, President of SEIU 721.

Hopefully this all gets settled quickly as McOsker bragged how he had raised the most money and continues to spin his “my board likes me just not enough” line.

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August 2, 2011

Bob Schoonover, President
SEIU Local 721

Dear President Schoonover:

United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC) Local 112 President Pat McOsker is scheduled to appear at SEIU 721’s L.A. City Council District 15 Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, August 3, 2011. We urge you in the strongest of terms to avoid any endorsement of Candidate McOsker, as he is campaigning with considerable indifference to the members of UFLAC and does not have our endorsement or support.

In November 2010 President McOsker won a 3-way race for his UFLAC post with less than 36% of the membership’s vote – by no means a majority or close to a mandate. Seven months later a majority of the UFLAC Executive Board and an outspoken majority of our membership have clearly communicated their wishes to Brother McOsker: Feel free to run for public office but not while you’re the sitting president of our Union. We deserve better!

Brother McOsker has refused to step down, refused to take a leave of absence, and has shown total disdain – sometimes in graphic and vulgar terms – for his Executive Board and membership by sticking to his political agenda despite our vocal disapproval. It has come to the point that Brother McOsker, by virtue of his own actions, may find obtaining an endorsement from his own union impossible now even if he were to surprisingly step down, regardless of the way his campaign staff frames it in the media.

On July 27 the UFLAC Membership voted with 95% agreement for a non-endorsement in the CD-15. Mr. McOsker has tried to spin this in the media as, “a small faction within our Union (launching) an effort to sabotage” his campaign.

SEIU 721 has a long history and knows the pains of internal union struggles. Your union has stood strong and battled through those times to become even stronger. As an allied organization – one that represents members of the fire department labor family – we ask you to honor the wishes of our majority and not reward Candidate McOsker with your endorsement and campaign financing.

Unions sometimes disagree on political endorsements; it happens, is not done lightly, and typically has more to do with personal relationships than labor alliances. Unfortunately, any money given to McOsker may as well be tossed in the furnace. We urge you to go “open” for the CD-15 Primary and then endorse a highly qualified candidate in the General Election who is a friend of Labor and demonstrates true leadership and solidarity.

Respectfully,

Dissatisfied Members of United Firefighters Local 112

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