June 25th, 2009
McKnight’s: California healthcare union struggle continues, SEIU accused of using anti-union tactics
The battle appears to be raging on over representation of California’s healthcare workers. Recent reports indicate that as part of its strategy to win, the Service Employees International Union may be resorting to anti-organization tactics it once railed against. In February, deposed former leaders of United Healthcare Workers West, an Oakland-based union, filed petitions with […]
June 25th, 2009
Healthcare workers protest SEIU’s illegal tactics in union election
Caregivers at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital demand re-run
Hollister, Calif.—Caregivers at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital are requesting that their election be re-run in light of SEIU’s widespread use of illegal tactics to poison this month’s election. Workers petitioned the Public Employee Relations Board for the election more than three months ago so they could quit the scandal-plagued SEIU and join the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW).
“SEIU completely crossed the line in this election and made it impossible to have a fair vote. We are filing objections to this election with the Public Employee Relations Board and are requesting a new and fair election,” said Patsy Myers, an Environmental Services worker at the hospital for 12 years. “SEIU told workers to bring their ballots to SEIU organizers and to vote in front of SEIU organizers in the hospital,” said Patsy Myers. “They should not be allowed to get away with this.”
June 25th, 2009
SEIU borrows business’ anti-union tactics to fend off a rival
For years, the powerful Service Employees International Union has played a lead role in the campaign for a landmark federal law that would allow workers to join a labor organization simply by signing petitions.
Now, as part of a high-stakes battle in California, the union is urging federal officials to throw out petitions signed by tens of thousands of its own members who have asked to be represented by a rival upstart group.
The David-vs.-Goliath face-off pits the SEIU, its $300-million annual budget and its legions of staffers, lobbyists and lawyers against a band of about 150 insurgents who are either volunteers or being paid from donations. Most have defected from the SEIU’s 2-million-strong ranks.
In lodging legal challenges to the roughly 80 petitions filed by its fledgling competitor, the SEIU has moved to block organizing elections at hospitals, clinics and nursing homes up and down the state. And it has used some of the same tactics that employers often use to thwart union drives.
June 24th, 2009
Los Angeles Times: SEIU borrows business’ anti-union tactics to fend off a rival
The Service Employees International Union alleges that the upstart National Union of Healthcare Workers is intimidating and misleading workers.
By Paul Pringle
For years, the powerful Service Employees International Union has played a lead role in the campaign for a landmark federal law that would allow workers to join a labor organization simply by signing petitions.
Now, as part of a high-stakes battle in California, the union is urging federal officials to throw out petitions signed by tens of thousands of its own members who have asked to be represented by a rival upstart group.
The David-vs.-Goliath face-off pits the SEIU, its $300-million annual budget and its legions of staffers, lobbyists and lawyers against a band of about 150 insurgents who are either volunteers or being paid from donations. Most have defected from the SEIU’s 2-million-strong ranks.
In lodging legal challenges to the roughly 80 petitions filed by its fledgling competitor, the SEIU has moved to block organizing elections at hospitals, clinics and nursing homes up and down the state. And it has used some of the same tactics that employers often use to thwart union drives.
June 24th, 2009
Wall Street Journal blog: Unions fight over health-care workers
Even as the economy has lost millions of jobs over the course of the recession, health care has continued to add jobs. So it makes sense that unions would be eager to sign up health-care workers — so eager, in fact, that megaunion SEIU is locked in a public fight against an upstart health-workers’ union […]