October 23rd, 2009
Workers protest at NLRB and S.F. City Hall
Caregivers picketed the San Francisco office of the National Labor Relations Board on Thursday to demand that the board count ballots and schedule union elections for workers who’ve chosen NUHW. At City Hall, homecare providers rallied against budget cuts that hurt seniors and people with disabilites.
October 21st, 2009
Sonoma County caregivers blast takeaways in secret union contract
SEIU draws fire from members and County Supervisors over behavior in contract vote
Santa Rosa, Calif.—Homecare providers suspected the worst last month, when SEIU officials changed the rules of a vote on their union contract and refused to let them see a copy of the agreement they were voting on. Now their contract with Sonoma County has become public record, and providers are outraged to see how much SEIU officials gave up.
“We’re looking at people losing their homes, not being able to put food on the table, not being able to afford medical care,” said Arin Stevens, a homecare provider in Sonoma County for 22 years. “That’s what happens to people when you cut in-home support wages.”
County Supervisors approved the contract in their Sept. 30 meeting, but expressed shock and disappointment that SEIU had not allowed caregivers a fair vote on whether to accept the deal.
“When they took people’s voice away by not allowing them to vote by mail… I think they undermined the values of labor,” Supervisor Shirlee Zane said at the meeting. “…Not giving members the full contract, full disclosure, is not transparent, nor is it in good faith in terms of union bargaining.”
October 21st, 2009
Sonoma Co. providers and Supervisors blast rigged vote on all-takeaway contract
SEIU officials used security guards, voter suppression, and lies to force homecare workers to ratify a secret agreement with Sonoma County that contains nothing but takeaways. Click here to read more. SEIU rigs Sonoma County vote to force homecare workers into all-takeaway contract
October 16th, 2009
“Under Trusteeship,” by Ellen Dillinger
“Under Trusteeship” is the latest cartoon by Ellen Dillinger, a transcriptionist in Radiology at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento. Click the small version below to view it full-size. To read more workers’ voices, visit the Our Voices page.
October 14th, 2009
Workers vote at Providence Tarzana—but SEIU wants to bury the ballot box
Tarzana caregivers support their co-workers in EVS voting to join NUHW TAKE ACTION:Tell the NLRB tocount the votes EVS workers at Providence Tarzana are voting right now to join NUHW—but SEIU is having the ballots locked in a safe immediately after the election, to hide the result from workers and the public until the labor […]