Workers at Luther Manor reject SEIU’s secret deal

NewsAugust 30, 2011

Workers at Luther Manor, a Saginaw, Michigan skilled nursing facility who petitioned to join NUHW in March, rejected SEIU’s backroom contract deal with their employer by a vote of 36-26.

SEIU scheduled last Friday’s contract ratification vote, which was only announced two days earlier, for a narrow 2-hour window on Friday afternoon in an attempt to ram through a quick vote with as few part-time and third shift employees participating as possible.

Despite SEIU’s rushed ratification vote, workers decisively rejected SEIU’s secret deal and demanded a swift vote for more than 90 healthcare workers at Luther Manor to join the union of their choice, NUHW.

“We see through SEIU. They negotiated behind our backs and then tried to rush a quick vote that would have weakened our attendance and scheduling policies.” said Olga Vasquez, a CNA who has worked at Luther Manor for 17 years and supports NUHW. “We’re ready to have a union we control at Luther Manor; we’re putting SEIU’s backroom deals behind us by joining NUHW.”

SEIU is now trying to force ratification of their rejected deal by scheduling a re-vote this Friday.

The NLRB has scheduled an election at Luther Manor for September 23rd, when workers will have the opportunity to vote to get out of SEIU once and for all, and join NUHW.