October 2023 PULSE
October was a momentous month for NUHW. We welcomed nearly 500 new members from three successful organizing drives, held a candidate forum for U.S. Senator that resulted in the endorsement of Rep. Katie Porter and celebrated Gov. Newsom signing into law an NUHW-backed bill that will move California closer to universal healthcare. Also, after a 13-year struggle, including multiple strikes and formal complaints, our Kaiser mental health members won a $200 million state-imposed settlement that will require Kaiser to fix its broken mental healthcare system.
Also this month, NUHW members held a three-day strike at Kindred San Diego and ratified a new contract at a Kindred hospital in the Bay Area. You can read those stories below, and find NUHW on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
Nearly 500 workers join NUHW in October
Approximately 470 workers at a major Providence hospital voted to join NUHW, while smaller groups workers at two facilities voted to join their colleagues as NUHW members.Read more / Lee más
Historic settlement: Kaiser agrees to pay record fine, spend $150 million to improve mental health services
In a major victory for Kaiser therapists and patients, Kaiser acknowledged systemic failures in its mental healthcare system and committed to addressing them. The agreement settled two state investigations, one of which found that Kaiser had canceled over 111,000 therapy appointments during last year’s 10-week strike. Read more / Lee mas
Kindred Bay Area workers win better salaries and benefits
More than 100 NUHW members at the long-term care hospital agreed to a three-year contract that will raise salaries by an average of 14 percent while lowering health insurance premiums. Read More / Lee más
Newsom signs NUHW-backed universal healthcare bill
NUHW helped spearhead the bill to move California farther along the path to a universal healthcare system through its leadership in Healthy California Now, the state’s largest coalition of single-payer, Medicare for All healthcare advocates. Read more / Lee más
Kindred San Diego workers strike for fair pay
Approximately 20 pharmacy and laboratory workers held a three-day strike demanding wage increases on par with what their NUHW-represented colleagues recently won at the hospital. Read more / Lee más
NUHW endorses Katie Porter for U.S. Senate
The endorsement was decided by NUHW members who voted to endorse the Orange County congress member following a candidate forum during our Leadership Conference in Los Angeles. Read more / Lee más
Member profile: Creight Fontenelle
Creight and his nearly 1,800 coworkers are gearing up to win the best contract ever at Keck USC. Read more / Lee más
NUHW offering online continuing education courses
Need CE units? Check out our online courses for members in licensed and certified job classifications. Learn more / Lee más
News of the Month
Read our roundup of the latest labor and healthcare news from top media outlets. Read more / Lee más