Last week, I got a one page flyer frome the Service Employees International Union bragging that “We are the Majority!” It even points out that the next step is to schedule an election for city employees to vote on their choice of union. They even mention AFSCME as one of the possible choices — “the union that’s failed us for decades.” Nice tip of the hat. Of course, that fails to mention that they weren’t allowed to represent the employees, by law.

Not that anyone, even AFSCME, made a big deal out of it publicly.

SEIU makes a big deal out of winning raises of 4.5 to 12 percent in San Antonio, something that would break the budget here (as badly as we need it). They also give themselves kudos for electing a pro-union candidate (though interestingly, they don’t name Sue Lovall, in the flyer at least) and for defeating a pro-privitazation candidate. (One and the same?) They also ask that we employees keep signing the petitions they circulate. One wonders why that is necessary if we’re already in the majority?

This mailer also included a URL to the Texas SEIU website, which has several articles dealing with Houston specifically, since we’re ground zero for their next big push. Of course that’s because the preconditions exist which make city employees ripe for recruitment, but that’s no one’s fault except the city’s leadership.

Curiously, one of the front page articles is headlined: “Workers Participate in One of the Largest Campaigns Ever to Hold Houston Politicians Accountable” but clicking on the link results in this page, which seems to be a lot more about how the union organizers are trying to hold them in thrall:

Continuing our efforts to hold politicians accountable to the people they serve, candidates endorsed by city employees through SEIU scored victories in the Nov. 8 elections.

In early October, hundreds of city workers held a forum where we asked candidates tough questions and made endorsements in four important races. Many city employees then began walking door-to-door for the candidates who pledged to stand up for Houston city employees and the services we provide.

The results? Peter Brown won City Council at-large Position 1, Carol Alvarado won Council District I and Annise Parker was re-elected as City Controller. Sue Lovell faces a runoff election to win Council at-large position 2. (Emphasis mine–ubu)

Which she won, partly because of, er, excessively enthusiastic support from the union. Note the emphasis. City council members serve the city employees? Silly me, I always thought they served the general public.

The really annoying thing to me is that I want to see us get a realistic cost-of-living-adjustment. I just do not want to see it happen because a union became a political force in the city. It will inevitably become just another powerbloc agrandizing itself, and not thinking at all about the overall health of the city. But if Mayor White & the council can’t stop playing Democratic Voter Recruiter and Federal Money Leech long enough to reprioritize spending and tend to business, he risks the rise of another political player in the city.

Edit 1-20-06: Kevin and Sedosi have a few comments on money in politics too.