The Politico‘s Ben Smith reports that the second round of “formal mediation talks” between the warring factions of UNITE HERE collapsed.

SEIU’s Andy Stern, along with former UNITE leaders Bruce Raynor and Edgar Romney, wrote a letter to rival HERE leader John Wilhelm calling on both sides to enter binding arbitration and offering a potential “peace agreement” that would stop the two sides from raiding each other’s members and interfering with relationships with employers.

Although the SEIU extended a potential olive branch, Stern and his cohorts made it clear that the SEIU will continue to marshal its vast financial resources to help Workers United against the former HERE faction.

What’s interesting is how the SEIU/Workers United letter claims that they will impose a “no raiding” committment, “cease membership contact,” and “respect organizing campaigns.” This seems to be an acknowledgment that the SEIU and Workers United have committed these acts, despite their numerous denials in the past. Of course anyone who is following this battle knows that these acts have occurred and been documented and publicized.