Anti-RTW Protesters Have Forced Dues Connection


Jack Spencer, Michigan Capitol Confidential, has the story of those Michigan Right to Work protestors who were arrested and their connection with an SEIU forced dues scheme perpetrated on Michigan home caregivers.  

Seven of the eight people facing felony charges for their alleged actions on Dec.6 at the State Capitol are affiliated with the SEIU Healthcare Michigan union.

That’s the union that has taken more than $33 million from home-based caregivers in Michigan.

One of the people arrested, Joshua Kersting, is the son of SEIU Healthcare Michigan President Marge Faville.

Kersting’s current status at SEIU Healthcare Michigan is unclear. He previously was employed by the union over which Faville presides, but apparently was transferred to a different Service Employees International Union (SEIU) affiliate a while back after his mother was accused of nepotism. 

The SEIU dues skim is the result of the forced unionization of Michigan’s home-based caregivers that began in 2005 when Jennifer Granholm was governor. 

Joshua Kersting and seven others were arrested on Dec. 6 at the Capitol where they were protesting right-to-work legislation. They allegedly attempted to force their way onto the floor of the Senate. Now they face felony counts of resisting and obstructing a police officer. The next legal proceeding in the case is scheduled for Jan. 22.

All eight of the union protesters are being represented by the same attorney, Randall Behrmann of Okemos.

Behrmann would not provide details about any links between the people arrested and the SEIU.

“I don’t believe that’s something that’s been out there or reported on,” Behrmann said. “I don’t think that’s something I would comment on.”

Of the seven who are known to have connections to SEIU Healthcare Michigan, none were rank-and-file union members. The names of four of them are listed on the SEIU Healthcare Michigan LM-2 report for 2011 under the category of “political activities and lobbying.â€
The names of the eight union protesters arrested on Dec. 6 are: Joshua Kersting, Chreda Troutman, Eric Noyes, Stephen Cousins, Brett Matthews, Scott Holiday, Benjamin Wilkins and Ida Sinclair-Williams. Of these, Sinclair-Williams is the only one facing charges for whom no connection with SEIU Healthcare Michigan has been established.

According to two sources, Faville’s son, Joshua Kersting, had been working for the SEIU in Ohio until recently.

Read more about the remaining protestors’ relationship to SEIU Healthcare Michigan, perpetrator of the grand force-dues scheme here.

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