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March 1st, 2012

DMHC’s Cease and Desist Order Exposes Kaiser Permanente’s Pattern and Practice of Denying Care to Mental Health Patients

The National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) applauds the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) for issuing a cease and desist order to Kaiser Foundation Health Plan yesterday in response to the HMO’s pattern and practice of denying physical, occupational and speech therapy services to patients with “non-physical” conditions, including mental illnesses and developmental […]

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February 29th, 2012

Sacramento Business Journal: Kaiser ordered to stop denying access to some therapies

Kathy Robertson, Senior Staff Writer – Sacramento Business Journal
Date: Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 6:43am PST

State regulators have ordered Kaiser Permanente to stop denying members access to physical, occupational and speech therapy services.

The cease-and-desist order — issued Monday by the California Department of Managed Health Care — follows member complaints that Kaiser denies coverage for these services for non-physical conditions such as developmental delays, stuttering and autism without determining medical necessity.

“Kaiser Health Plan’s policy to deny physical, occupational and speech therapy services for non-physical conditions is not permitted under the Knox-Keene Act,” Anthony Manzanetti, DMHC’s chief of enforcement, said in a news release. “The DMHC is taking this action to ensure Kaiser follows the law.”

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February 24th, 2012

Sacramento Business Journal: NUHW pursues affiliation with machinists’ union

by Kathy Robertson, Senior Staff Writer   
Friday, February 24, 2012, 3:00am PST

In what appears to be a coup for both sides, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and the National Union of Healthcare Workers have signed a letter of intent to pursue a potential affiliation — one that could set the stage for a tougher union fight at Kaiser Permanente.

With 700,000 members across North America, IAM is the leading union for aerospace and transportation workers, not health care employees. But it’s got deep pockets, an aggressive stance on organizing, a connection to the 12 million member AFL-CIO — and, some say, a history of animosity with NUHW’s nemesis, Service Employees International Union.

Formal affiliation is a ways off, but the agreement is a milestone for a scrappy health care union fighting for traction in a changing health care industry among larger rivals. NUHW has organized about 9,000 workers in California and Michigan, including 400 in the Sacramento region.

“IAM believes in our long-term vision of a national union for health care workers,” NUHW president Sal Rosselli said. “We share the same ideology of democracy from the bottom up. The fact it’s not health care allows us to pursue our vision without competition and struggle.”

“Their record of success in winning industry standard contracts and organizing the unorganized speaks volumes,” IAM vice president Gary Allen said in a news release. “The IAM shares the NUHW’s commitment to free, fair and democratic membership control of the collective bargaining process. By standing together, all of us are stronger.”

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February 22nd, 2012

Bureau of National Affairs: NUHW, Machinists announce partnership, taking first step toward possible affiliation

By Michelle Amber
Daily Labor Report

The independent National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents some 9,000 workers in California and Michigan, and the 700,000-member International Association of Machinists have signed a letter of intent to pursue a formal relationship and work toward a possible future affiliation, the unions announced in a Feb. 21 joint statement.

The letter of intent has been approved by the executive boards of both unions, and representatives of each union will begin to work on terms of a possible affiliation, according to the joint statement.

NUHW President Sal Rosselli told Bloomberg BNA Feb. 21 that over the coming months members of both unions will be involved in determining the shape of a potential affiliation and any final decision on affiliation will be subject to approval by the members of NUHW and the leadership of IAM.

IAM President Thomas Buffenbarger told Bloomberg BNA Feb. 21 that discussions on the terms of an affiliation are expected to begin within the next four weeks.

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February 21st, 2012

700,000 members of the International Association of Machinists partner with NUHW

Three years ago at our Founding Convention in San Francisco, we established NUHW to start a new movement of healthcare workers. We set out to build an organization that would stand up for workers instead of lying down for employers, that would put members in control of our own futures, and that would refuse to […]