An open letter to SEIU Local 415 regarding their spokesperson's recent statements of support for the location of a Home Depot store in Santa Cruz's industrial Westside.

I am utterly baffled and incensed by the statements made by Leslie Scanagatta (identified by the Sentinel as SEIU Local 415's "chief spokesperson") regarding the City Council's stance toward Home Depot. In that paper, she was quoted chiding the Council for its perceived inaction in allowing Home Depot to build on the old Lipton site in Santa Cruz's industrial Westside. Generally, I am inclined to give people quoted by the Sentinel the benefit of the doubt considering the bias of its publishers and some of its reporters. However, in this case, Ms. Scanagatta's specific mention of Home Depot and numerous other quotes printed in the Sentinel's May 5th article lead me to believe that her comments were not simply twisted out of context.

It completely escapes my comprehension that someone who "works hard to maintain the rights of union workers and fight [sic] for justice for all workers" (quoted from the SEIU Local 415 website, which Ms. Scanagatta herself apparently coordinates) should consider it positive to locate Home Depot, one of the most vehemently anti-union and anti-worker retailers on the face of the planet, in her own community. This is particularly incomprehensible coming from someone who works on the staff of one of the country's more progressive union locals and acts as its Communications Coordinator. It gives the impression that this is the official stance of the SEIU.

If the latter is the case, it leads me to ask, "What are you thinking?!?" Has it completely escaped the attention of Local 415 that Home Depot is one of the worst employers of its size ever to disgrace the retail industry?

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