Merger Brings County Workers Into SEIU Fold : Workplace: With formation of new local, Service Employees International will reportedly represent about 90% of county workers covered by unions.

The already large Service Employees International Union more than doubled its membership in San Diego recently when an equally massive county employee group voted to affiliate with the union.

In a near unanimous vote, the board of directors of the 5,000-member County Employees Assn. voted to end its independent status to become a newly chartered SEIU union that will be known as SEIU Local 1926, said Eliseo Medina, president of SEIU Local 102 and a local organizer.

The association’s board of directors voted 41 to 1 last week to affiliate with SEIU, Medina said.

According to Medina, the union will now represent about 90% of the county workers who are represented by unions. A total of three SEIU locals--Locals 1926, 102 and 535--now represent about 10,000 county employees, he added.

“The CEA had 5,000 members but represented about 8,000 workers. We hope to eventually sign up these other employees,” Medina said.

William Gage, a CEA official and president of the new local, said the association voted to merge with the SEIU because members thought they were losing ground to the county in contract negotiations.

“We found ourselves losing ground as our employers attempted to balance their budgets on the backs of our members and contracted out our jobs,” said Gage in a written statement.

Contracts with the county negotiated by CEA officials expire June 30, 1992.

At one time, the CEA was said to be the largest independent union in the state. Formed in 1926, the association represented a wide variety of county workers, from clerks to attorneys.

But, over the past three years, internal dissent within the group’s leadership contributed to a steady decline in members. In 1989 and 1990, the association lost three bargaining units and more than 1,000 members to SEIU Local 102.

The rift within the group, which began in 1988, did not go unnoticed in local labor circles. Several other local labor unions joined SEIU in attempts to snatch some of CEA’s units and sign some of the independent groups of county employees who were not represented by CEA.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees went head-to-head with SEIU and succeeded in signing the Superior Court clerks. AFSCME also has the upper hand now in attempts to organize Municipal Court clerks.

Last year, the United Auto Workers launched a drive to organize the County Public Defenders, whose wages were previously tied to contracts negotiated by CEA for other county employees.

In 1989, Wyleen Luoma, CEA general manager, and her top aide, Kathleen Thompson, were fired after members accused them of misconduct and abuse of authority. Luoma’s replacement, Richard Stearns, left last year.

However, turnover in the association’s top leadership failed to mollify critics within the the group, who argued that the membership deserved a greater voice in day-to-day operations. A group of dissident members sued the CEA executive committee last June, charging it with unlawfully barring some members elected to the association’s board of directors.

The lawsuit alleged that the association’s bylaws called for a board of directors composed of 110 members, but only 18 were actually serving. Dissidents charged that executive committee members had refused to seat 36 directors nominated to the board and removed another 16.

When the merger with SEIU was announced, Medina said he would assume a temporary role as general manager until merger details are worked out. He replaced Bill Montgomery, who was acting general manager. Union sources said that Montgomery is also expected to be released.

The CEA owns a large business office in Kearny Mesa. Medina said that SEIU Locals 102 and 535 will probably negotiate rental agreements with Local 1926 and move their offices to the new local’s quarters.

SEIU has emerged as the most aggressive union in San Diego County. It has succeeded in organizing downtown office janitors, probation officers and paramedics, among others.