Author Archive

Beyond Chron: SEIU Battles NUHW, Labor Council and Workers in Santa Rosa

by Randy Shaw

SEIU’s no-holds-barred struggle with NUHW ratcheted up further last week as the powerful union was criticized by the North Bay Labor Council for contesting efforts by Santa Rosa hospital workers to join NUHW. Unlike SEIU’s prior conflicts with NUHW over already organized workers, the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, part of the three-state St. Josephs Health System, involves non-union workers who have been seeking union representation for over a decade. Workers supporting NUHW filed petitions seeking a union election on April 13, but SEIU quickly blocked the election for nearly five months by filing NLRB charges. After these charges were dismissed, SEIU filed new NLRB claims to prevent the hospital workers from voting to affiliate with NUHW. It then informed both NUHW and the employer that it would not negotiate ground rules for an election that would prevent negative campaigning, even though this would prevent employer interference and the ballot would include both unions. Santa Rosa Memorial workers desiring union representation are irate over SEIU’s tactics, saying they felt SEIU “deserted” them months ago and is now “disrupting” their efforts to unionize.

Green 960 Labor Report: Sonoma County providers call for investigation of SEIU’s rigged contract vote

Dozens of homecare providers are calling on Sonoma County Supervisors to investigate SEIU’s reported strong-arm tactics in a recent contract ratification vote. Arin Stevens, a Sonoma County in-home supportive service provider for 22 years, explains not only the background in this story, but the intimidation she witnessed at the polls. Source: Green 960 Labor Report […]

Centinela Hospital workers petition to quit SEIU and join NUHW

Caregivers cite SEIU corruption, labor law violations, and secrecy around recent contract failure

Inglewood, Calif.—Workers at Centinela Hospital Medical Center have filed a petition to leave the scandal-plagued SEIU and join the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) instead, joining 1,600 workers at four other Southern California hospitals who petitioned on Sept. 24.

“As a union steward it’s always been my job to stand up for my co-workers and for good jobs in our community.” said Toni Rangel, a pharmacy technician at Centinela. “But SEIU has taken away our voice to do that. The only way we can protect our jobs and wages is to join the union we built, NUHW.”

Centinela Hospital workers petition to join NUHW

Caregivers cite SEIU corruption, labor law violations, and secrecy around recent contract failure

Workers at Centinela Hospital Medical Center have filed a petition to quit the scandal-plagued SEIU and join the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) instead, joining 1,600 workers at four other Southern California hospitals who petitioned on Sept. 24.

“As a union steward it’s always been my job to stand up for my co-workers and for good jobs in our community.” said Toni Rangel, a pharmacy technician at Centinela. “But SEIU has taken away our voice to do that. The only way we can protect our jobs and wages is to join the union we built, NUHW.”

Labor Council urges SEIU not to obstruct NUHW election at Santa Rosa Memorial

Mito Gonzales“The support of Sonoma County elected, religious and labor leaders has been so important to our campaign to win our union. We’re glad the North Bay Labor Council is standing in support of the majority of Memorial workers and respecting the choice we made. If SEIU-UHW really wants to support the workers here, they should stop standing in our way.” —Mito Gonzales, clinical lab assistant at Santa Rosa Memorial

The North Bay Labor Council sent a letter today to the trustees of SEIU-UHW, asking them not to delay or obstruct efforts by workers at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital to form a union with the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW).

“It is clear that Memorial workers have chosen NUHW as their union … We respectfully ask that SEIU-UHW respect these workers’ choice and withdraw from the election at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital so that these workers can finally have the successful election they have worked so hard and risked so much for.”

The Council represents more than 60 unions across four counties in Northern California.