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Commentary
*Henry Nicholas, the national
president of 1199, came to town to wage a campaign for the 1199
members of Baltimore to vote the National Union into the
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Workers (AFSME),
rather than Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Most
of the old leadership of the Baltimore/Washington local was for
Nicholas and AFSME, rather than SEIU. Initially, the officers
were split, with the Executive Vice President Beatrice Moore,
wife of the local’s president (Bob Moore), leaning toward
Nicholas and AFSCME. In the end she sat on the fence. I tried to
do the same thing. I, however, handed to Nicholas a photo which
indicated that personnel of SEIU, pretending to be local
organizers, had gone through the records of the local before the
guidelines for the election were established.
Of course, all of that got back to Bob Moore and I was barred
from the office. My paycheck, however, was signed by Henry
Nicholas. Thus, in the campaign, siding with Nicholas, I was
going against a friend of twenty years, a friend whom I had a
great affection. I did not take the matter lightly. Though I had
fallen short of probity in my personal life, I have been
punctilious in my public life and career. It has cost me dearly
in stability, financial security, and friends. I wanted to
picture the matter like a scrimmage game, persons on the same
team preparing for the greater enemy. But people became deadly
serious. I was naïve.
AFSCME lost Baltimore. Beatrice Moore was forced into
retirement by SEIU. I decided I did not want to work further
with Nicholas; because on the whole, I didn’t trust him
personally anymore than Bob did. Yet I thought he could do more
for workers here in Baltimore than SEIU; moreover, the rank and
file leadership wanted him. But Bob was fighting for his life
and he had debts he had to pay. Much of this I did not
understand until after the campaign was over.
I had no interest in going to Philadelphia and Nicholas told
me he had no other position for me than organizer, which may
have required me going anywhere in the country. I was exhausted
by the intrigue. This gaming was above my head. I handed
Nicholas my resignation and he accepted it. |
