Solidarity Fornever? DisUnite-There? Updated

Have you have heard about the dispute which has broken into public view between the Bruce Raynor and John Wilhelm the leaders of Unite-Here?. The several-years old merger of clothing workers (UNITE) and hotel & restaurant workers (HERE) seems to be breaking a part in a way in which only employers will rejoice. Mr. Raynor and elected leaders from the Unite portion have begun suing to break up the merger (See also a Chicago Sun- Times article here) because, as I understand it, they control only a minority of the executive board of the merged union.

Update: I've reviewed a Unite-side prepared critique of Here organizing and spending. In general, it accuses Here of wild spending and failing to win members. That document was probably a source for Steven Greenhouse's NY Times article (first hotlink above) and Bruce Raynor's HuffPost post, below. It's a hell of a document. I will talk to Unite-side allies and reach out to Here. Also see, fyi, David Moberg's low-key report in The Nation .

As Juan Gonzales explains in the Daily News on Friday a big prize is the union-owned Amalgamated Bank profits from which finance Unite-Here. Mr. Raynor, it is said, has manipulated the Amalgamated Bank board to keep control of it – even if – as is expected, he loses control of the merged union at its convention in June.

I grew up in a leftist home and always strongly identified myself with the labor movement. I’ve been personally active helping to organize labor unions at places I’ve worked and on behalf of employee rights. I steadily answer the call of labor unions for their support. Therefore, I have the right and the standing to demand a better explanation than we’ve been getting from the leaders of Unite-Here about their dispute. I’ve known, liked and respected many people who’ve worked for both parts of the union (indeed, in the past, I’ve known both Mr. Raynor and Mr. Wilhelm slightly). But at present, it seems to me both union leaders are sabotaging their union. This stinks. Those of us who respond to the call of organized labor again and again deserve better than the explanations we've so far been given by these two. Of course, the participants don't think this is an ego-driven power struggle.

You can read some of Mr. Raynor’s thoughts about this in his recent Huff-post post and some about Mr. Wilhelm’s here . If this is more than a battle of egos I cannot see it.