June 10th, 2010
Labor board could overturn union elections over hospital’s illegal interference
Management gave SEIU full access to campaign while threatening the jobs of NUHW supporters if they discussed election
San Jose and Gilroy, Calif.—The National Labor Relations Board has impounded more than 500 ballots in a contentious union election at O’Connor Hospital in San Jose after workers reported that management violated federal labor law by allowing only side to be heard. At Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, similar charges will be filed after management interference affected the outcome of a close election between SEIU and the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW).
“It’s our decision which union is best for us, and it’s against the law for management to take sides like this,” said Susan Reddell, a respiratory therapist at Saint Louise. “We want the labor board to protect our right to a fair election and let us choose without intimidation and threats of discipline.”
Hospital workers say their employer, the Daughters of Charity Health System, preferred the incumbent union because SEIU had agreed to a wage freeze and healthcare takeaways, and that the employer illegally interfered with their legal right to organize with the new union, NUHW.
June 8th, 2010
Green 960 Labor Report: Kaiser IBHS filing
Green 960 Labor Report interviews Kaiser Permanente IBHS Chapter member Emily Ryan about IBHS chapter members’ filing of majority petitions to leave SEIU and join NUHW June 3 at the NLRB. Source: Green 960AM
June 8th, 2010
ZNet: The Battle for Kaiser: SEIU calls for WWIII
By Cal Winslow
SEIU has already rushed through a sweetheart deal, a tentative contract with Kaiser. It has agreed to a 3% increase in wages for two years, but this is what workers were guaranteed in the current contract – they would have received this next year even if they had simply walked away from bargaining. It marks the lowest wage settlement in fifteen years. SEIU has also left the door wide opened for healthcare concessions – a committee will be convened next year to review Kaiser’s proposed cuts. This is in line with SEIU-UHW’s healthcare concessions policies in California – sign anything, keep NUHW out. This new “national” agreement was cut and rushed through by SEIU-UHW trustee “old school” Dave Regan – breaking long standing precedent, there will be no local bargaining. The agreement, clearly settled with the NUHW Kaiser campaign in mind, comes as Kaiser reports record profits – $2.2 billion in 2009, $600,000 in the first quarter of 2010.
June 7th, 2010
Kaiser Optical workers petition for NUHW
Sonia Askew, Optician, Kaiser South Sacramento“We’re joining NUHW to bring back the strong union we used to have. I’ve been at Kaiser for 14 years, and we’ve always done better than this. People can feel the difference. Our union is weaker because of SEIU. They just can’t deliver, at the bargaining table or day to […]
June 7th, 2010
Majority of 380 Kaiser optical workers petition to join NUHW
Five of Kaiser’s seven bargaining units have now joined NUHW or signed majority petitions Oakland, Calif.—A majority of 380 optical workers at Kaiser have submitted a petition to the National Labor Relations Board asking to change their union from SEIU to the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW). “We’re joining NUHW to bring back the […]