Pittsburgh, PA--As UNITE HERE prepares to re-affiliate with the AFL-CIO, members of Workers United, an SEIU affiliate, called on AFL-CIO incoming President Richard Trumka to help end the ongoing UNITE HERE dispute that is hurting workers from coast to coast.

"President Trumka, when you welcome UNITE HERE back into the AFL-CIO, please ask them to stop fighting us and instead join us to work on healthcare reform, immigration reform, passing the Employee Free Choice Act and ensuring that all our families have a shot at the American Dream," said Adam Alonzo, a shipper at Brooks Brothers in San Francisco and President of Workers United Local 1089.

For months, UNITE HERE has been aggressively harassing the members of Workers United and SEIU. They have been more concerned with winning this fight at workers' expense than doing what workers need. UNITE HERE has encouraged employers to escrow dues, locked-out union representatives and refused to negotiate contracts to improve working conditions.

"President Trumka, please use your leadership to help end the fight between UNITE HERE and Workers United," said Tim Jones, a server at Levy@PNC Park, Pittsburgh. "John Wilhelm sent letters all over the place demanding that employers escrow dues and block access to our union reps. Companies are taking advantage of it, and it's hurting workers. At my job, management isn't listening to our grievances and is keeping our union representatives out. We need to fight bad employers, not each other. The fight is not only bad for our union, but all unions."

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In addition to calling on the AFL-CIO's new leaders to help resolve the dispute with UNITE HERE, Workers United pledged support for an AFL-CIO resolution against intra-union raiding. Workers United and SEIU issued a unilateral cease-fire in April 2009 and have refrained from all acts of raiding despite UNITE HERE and HERE Local 2's acknowledged efforts to assist NUHW, an independent and rogue union trying to raid SEIU-UHW in Northern California. Workers United called on the AFL-CIO to denounce UNITE HERE and NUHW's raiding efforts. Workers United also pledged to actively work with its sisters in brothers in both the AFL-CIO and Change to Win to win the changes that workers need: affordable and accessible healthcare, a voice on the job, a path to citizenship and the restored promise of the American Dream.

In early 2009, more than 150,000 workers or their representatives voted to leave UNITE HERE to form Workers United. The UNITE HERE split followed a years-long dispute over strategy, resources and culture and included two attempts at mediation--both of which recommended divorce.

"We had an ugly divorce, but President Wilhelm has repeatedly rejected our settlement offers and our invitation to submit all unresolved issues to binding arbitration," said Workers United President Bruce Raynor. "We have made clear we don't want his jurisdiction. We have offered him a $50 million settlement from the assets we brought to merger. We have stood down while they continue to harass low-wage workers in laundries and food service that voted to be in Workers United. What will it take for John Wilhelm to put workers first and end this fight?"

"In tough economic times, workers need our full attention bargaining contracts, protecting gains and fighting for their jobs," said David Melman, Manager of the Pennsylvania Joint Board of Workers United. "Workers United looks forward to putting any divisions and distractions behind us to work with both Change to Win and the AFL-CIO to win what workers need to help create good jobs, healthy families and a chance to give their kids a better future."