November 11th, 2010
Kaiser Mental Health and Optical Workers Vote to Join NUHW
Kaiser workers reject SEIU’s fear campaign and join with their co-workers in Southern California
Oakland, Calif.—Approximately 1,500 Kaiser mental health professionals and optical workers in Northern California have voted to leave the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and join the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW). The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) concluded the ballot count today with a final tally of 603 for NUHW to 196 for SEIU in the Integrated Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) unit, and 154 for NUHW to 142 for SEIU in the optical unit.
“This is a victory for democracy. Now we will have a real voice regarding issues of patient care, staffing and workload,” said Spencer Gross, a psychologist at Kaiser Pleasanton for 23 years.
Kaiser’s Northern California mental health and optical workers will join 2,300 psychologists, social workers, dietitians, audiologists, speech pathologists, health educators and nurses in Southern California Kaiser hospitals and clinics who voted overwhelmingly to join NUHW in January.
“We’ve waited a long time to be united in NUHW with our co-workers in Southern California,” said Maria Padilla-Castro, a 10-year therapist at Kaiser Sacramento. “Now we’ll be able to work together to improve the standards of care for our patients.”
November 11th, 2010
Kaiser Optical and IBHS workers vote to join NUHW
Nearly 1,500 Kaiser mental health professionals and optical workers in Northern California have voted to leave SEIU and join NUHW. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) concluded the ballot count today with a final tally of 603 for NUHW to 196 for SEIU in the Integrated Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) unit, and 154 for NUHW […]
November 5th, 2010
Monterey County Herald: New union to push back against Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital job cuts
By Jim Johnson
A newly certified workers union at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital is promising to fight hospital administrators’ plans to eliminate scores of positions. A top hospital official indicated the job cuts could be open to negotiation.
Leighton Woodhouse, spokesman for the National Union of Healthcare Workers, said the union will seek to revisit the hospital’s effort to cut positions during negotiations now that the union is finally the official collective bargaining representative.
The union was officially certified when the state Public Employment Relations Board dismissed the last objections filed by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers last week, five months after Salinas Valley Memorial workers voted to join NUHW.
The new union represents more than 800 licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants, clerical workers and others at the hospital.
November 2nd, 2010
Monterey County Weekly: Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital workers union election is finally settled. NUHW wins.
By Robin Urevich
The National Union of Health care Workers has pledged to push back against staff reductions at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital.
In mid-October, the union led workers in a lively informational picket line to protest a round of buy-outs that had been offered to nurse’s aides, LVNs and other support staff. Hospital officials warned that if workers didn’t take voluntary severance packages, lay-offs could be in the offing. Now, the union can take its battle to the bargaining table.
In May 2010, SVMH workers voted overwhelmingly for NUHW representation, but their old union, the Service Employees International, which was voted out, filed objections to the conduct of the election, and official certification of the NUHW was delayed.
But on Oct. 25, the state Public Employee Relations Board, which referees such disputes, cleared those objections and granted collective bargaining rights to the NUHW.
November 1st, 2010
860 Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital caregivers win certification with NUHW
Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital Workers celebrate becoming the newest members of NUHW Last Thursday, 860 workers at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital (SVMH) celebrated as the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) fully recognized their membership in the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW). Since the workers chose to join NUHW by a two-to-one margin this May, […]