Just before a hearing focusing on the trusteeship imposed on Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Int'l Union Local 1 in Chicago, HERE boss John Wilhelm justified his actions. In a Mar. 13 statement, Wilhelm alleged financial and managerial deficiencies with Local 1, which for decades had been HERE's flagship. Wilhelm pointed to a sharp decline in union representation in Chicago and substandard wages and contractual protections for Local 1 members. In large part, however, Wilhelm's statement focused on reckless spending and financial mismanagement by local bosses.
Wilhelm's press release come one day before HERE conducts a hearing on the trusteeship. The hearing, scheduled for Mar. 14-16, was ordered by the Dep't of Labor's Office of Labor Mgmt. Standards. After probing the legality of the trusteeship, OLMS concluded that HERE, "had an allowable purpose for imposing the trusteeship," but had failed to hold a hearing to justify its actions with members of the local.
Almost everyone connected to organized labor by now has heard the news: Andrew Stern soon will resign as president of the Service Employees International Union. His departure in all likelihood will be permanent. And, if somewhat muted, so will the edgy aggression of the union he redefined. 
In labor as in business, a merger doesn't always work out. In the case of UNITE HERE, which represents well over 450,000 hotel, food service, textile, laundry and other workers, it's a marriage gone sour. The odd man out is General President Bruce Raynor. But he's far from out of the picture. In fact, he may wind up on top. Raynor and some 150,000 supporters recently jumped ship and formed a new union, 
