SEIU Local 1021 recently voted down their contract with the city of San Francisco, which has forced Mayor Gavin Newsom’s hand. Although SEIU leaders say they will bring the contract up again for a vote with their members sometime next week, Newsom said it may be too little, too late.

Up to 1,000 city workers will begin to receive pink slips regardless of the vote. The 11,000 member SEIU chapter rejected the contract 56 to 44 percent. SEIU officials think that their members may have been “confused” by the details of the package.

But both the article and SEIU officials fail to point out how the SEIU’s heavy-handed tactics against other unions certainly played a role in the contract’s rejection. Activist Randy Shaw noted that the SEIU should have spent more time fulfilling its role as a union by informing the rank-and-file of the contract’s details instead of raiding and pilfering other unions.

Another thing to note about this impasse between the SEIU and the city of San Francisco: SEIU Local 1021 workers still have the right to vote on their contract. Under EFCA’s binding arbitration terms, workers would not have the ability to ratify their contract with their employer. It’s something to keep in mind as we hear more talk about potential compromise on EFCA.